Letters From Home
by Caitlyn1
Summary: The much awaited Lessons for Life sequel. Chloe Potter goes to Hogwarts.
1. Tomboys, Mother Goose, and a Monster

Letters From Home  
  
  
  
Chapter One: Mother Goose, Tomboys, and a Monster  
  
~*~  
  
"Open!" said Chloe, yanking on her trunk desperately. "Open! Please!"  
  
She rattled the top violently and let go. Chloe stepped back with her hands on her hips and glared at it. It was mocking her. She heaved a sigh and resumed prying at the latches.  
  
"Let go!" she begged as she threw her weight into an almighty tug. "Aaaaugh!"  
  
Chloe landed with a loud smack on her bedroom floor. She clenched her fists, narrowed her eyes, and looked at the trunk, still firmly closed.  
  
The gold letters on the side of the trunk gleamed cheerfully at her. C.G. Potter, they read.  
  
Chloe took a seat on the lid and rested her elbows on her knees. She really only had to put a few more things in the blasted thing. Of course it was being difficult. Chloe swung her foot moodily and noted with satisfaction that it made a very noisy thud on the side of the trunk. Good. She hoped she would break it.  
  
Filled with new resolve, Chloe leapt off the lid and scampered to her bed and picked up an armful of folded robes, freshly pressed this morning.  
  
"I've got clothes," she said in a tempting tone. "Now be a good trunk.and open on up. I haven't got mothballs, honest!"  
  
She tried the latch carefully. It held fast. That did it. Chloe threw the clothes on the floor, swung her brown hair behind her angrily, and swiftly kicked the side of the trunk.  
  
Click-creeeeeak. Bang!  
  
Chloe's eyes widened as it flew open.  
  
"Really!" she said huffily, picking up the clothes, "If that was all you needed.."  
  
She was about to lay in her last set of robes when she thought she heard a noise. Chloe looked up sharply and held her breath. Shrugging it off as nothing, she double-checked the contents of her trunk.  
  
"Books," she murmured, "cloaks, quills, parchment, dragonhide gloves.."  
  
There was that noise again. She gazed around her room, puzzled. It was a faint snuffling sound.like an animal or something.  
  
"..socks, scales, owl treats, photographs.."  
  
Chloe glanced quickly around the room then got on her hands and knees to look under her bed. Finding nothing, she frowned and got to her feet. Her gaze rested on her window seat. It was a relatively large window seat and had a hollowed inside for stowing away things. Chloe cocked her head, crept over to one of the cabinets on the side of the seat and threw it open.  
  
A crumpled mass of robes, hair, and tears gazed up at her, hiccupping with sobs.  
  
"James!" exclaimed Chloe. "What are you doing in here?"  
  
James, Chloe's four-year old brother, gave a choked whimper at the sight of her and smeared at his light brown eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I don't want you to leave!"  
  
Chloe felt the same twinge of guilt that had been bothering her for weeks. "I'm sorry Jamesy, but I have to go to school! Please come out!"  
  
James shook the dust bunnies from his scruffy black hair, and burst into tears again as he shut the cabinet door, blocking himself from Chloe.  
  
Chloe knocked on it gently.  
  
"Yes?" James said, opening the door again.  
  
"Will you come out and talk to me?"  
  
"I'm going to stay in here forever and ever!" sobbed James.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you're leaving me!" James shut the cabinet door again.  
  
Chloe sank back onto her heels and sighed. She opened the adjacent door and crawled on her hands and knees into the window seat.  
  
James was so startled he stopped crying for a moment and stared at her. Chloe pulled her feet in and shifted around in the cramped quarters. She hadn't been in here since she was six or seven. She wondered if she could still.  
  
"Ow!" said Chloe, rubbing her head.  
  
Nope. Not a chance. Even though Chloe was rather short, she had definitely outgrown this hideout. She remained lying on her side, her head propped up on her elbow, smiling at James, who could sit up quite nicely in the cabinet.  
  
"You don't fit," he observed between hiccups.  
  
"I do," said Chloe. "If I lie down."  
  
"You're smashing the biscuits, Chloe," said James pointing to a plate of biscuits that Chloe hadn't noticed under her elbow.  
  
"Sorry," she said shifting around a bit. "I'll admit though.it'll be a tight squeeze."  
  
The crack of light that shone from the opening in the cabinet door was making a streak of light across James' face.  
  
"What is?" he asked, completely forgetting his tears.  
  
"I can live in this cabinet with you instead of going to school," said Chloe biting into a biscuit. "Why, I don't expect Mum and Daddy would notice."  
  
James stared at her disbelievingly. "We're going to live here?"  
  
Chloe nodded, nearly hitting her head again. "Of course! You suggested it."  
  
"I did?" said James rubbing his eyes.  
  
"I wonder how many days these biscuits would last us?" said Chloe. "And then I'm very sure this cabinet would be very dark at nighttime."  
  
"Dark?"  
  
"Pitch dark. Plus, I don't know how we would read in here.it's very bad for the eyes you know."  
  
Chloe smiled as James stared at her. She could see him thinking all of this over. She was just about to add the bit of having no toys in the cabinet when there was a soft rapping at the cabinet door.  
  
"Who is it?" asked James politely.  
  
"I'm looking for a Master James Potter."  
  
James glanced sideways at Chloe, who shrugged and grinned.  
  
"There's not a Master James Potter in here," said James truthfully, "Just a James Potter."  
  
The cabinet door opened suddenly, and Harry's smiling face appeared. He couldn't hide the astonished expression on his face when he saw both of his children in the cabinet.  
  
"Chloe," said Harry slowly, "You're in the cabinet."  
  
"I know, Daddy," said Chloe.  
  
"Might I ask why?" said Harry, who had learned, if nothing else from parenting, never jump to any conclusions.  
  
"James doesn't want me to go to Hogwarts," said Chloe, "so we're going to live in the cabinet under my window seat."  
  
Harry took a seat on the floor and smiled. "I see."  
  
"It's true, Daddy," said James.  
  
Harry held out his arms towards James. "Why don't you come on out, Scruff, and we'll have a talk about living in this cabinet."  
  
James crawled out of the cabinet and narrowly missed kicking Chloe in the stomach. "What about Chloe?" he asked, after he had crawled into Harry's lap.  
  
"This is a private conference. She can attend later," said Harry. He then closed the cabinet doors on Chloe who was about to climb out also.  
  
"Daddy!" said Chloe indignantly.  
  
"Now then," said Harry, "about the cabi-."  
  
"There you are!" said another voice, which Chloe recognized as her mother's.  
  
"Here I am," said James.  
  
"I've been looking all over for you!" said Ginny. Chloe heard her familiar light footsteps enter the room. "Have you been in here the entire time?"  
  
"He's got plans to live in the cabinet," said Harry. "We're discussing them."  
  
"Chloe's living there too," said James.  
  
Chloe heard her mother sigh. "Where is Chloe anyway? I thought she said she was going to be up in her room. I suppose not. I couldn't be lucky enough to have tabs on both of you at the same time."  
  
"She's in the cabinet, Mummy," said James cheerfully.  
  
Chloe giggled.  
  
"James," said Ginny, "what have Daddy and I told you about telling falsehoods? It isn't funny to say your sister is in the cabinet, when she isn't."  
  
"But I'm not telling a falsehood!" James protested.  
  
"I know, sweetheart, but imagination and lies are two different things," said Ginny, "I know you'd love to pretend that Chloe could live under the window seat.."  
  
"Gin," said Harry, and Chloe could just imagine the grin spreading across his face, "he's not telling a lie."  
  
For a good ten seconds there was silence and Chloe bit her lower lip to keep from laughing.  
  
Her mother's voice was very calm as she spoke again. "James, where is Chloe?"  
  
"Under the window seat!" chirruped James.  
  
"Harry," said Ginny, her voice very controlled.  
  
"Yes?" asked Harry, the amusement very apparent in his voice.  
  
"Where is Chloe?"  
  
"Under the window seat, just like James said."  
  
There was another long pause and Chloe knew her father and James were quavering under her mother's gaze.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because," Harry said slowly, "I left her there for a bit." His voice was laced with innocence.  
  
Chloe closed her eyes and grinned.waiting for the blow to fall.  
  
The cabinet door flew open, and her mother's face appeared briefly.  
  
"Hi, Mum," said Chloe with a small wave.  
  
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"  
  
Ka-boom! Chloe thought.  
  
"She crawled in there to be with James," began Harry quickly, and Chloe saw James cower into her father's neck. "I was trying to have a discussion with James about her going off to sch-."  
  
"YOU SHUT YOUR DAUGHTER IN A CABINET?"  
  
"No! Uh, yes! I mean.hang on!"  
  
Chloe grinned. Her father, who was often called The World's Most Powerful Wizard, never really stood a chance against her mum. He was downright scared of her sometimes.  
  
"Let me guess, Harry," said Ginny calmly, "you're writing a book on parenting."  
  
Chloe decided this was probably the best time to reappear and save her father.  
  
"Mum, he was just playing," she said crawling out of the cabinet. "He really wanted to get Jamesy out of the cabinet."  
  
"So you get one out and put the other in," said Ginny flatly.  
  
Harry grinned boyishly and avoided her glare. "I think we're going to have a family discussion.right?"  
  
James pulled Harry's glasses down his nose and looked him eye to eye. "I'll take your side, Daddy."  
  
"Thanks," whispered Harry, "I'll need it."  
  
Ginny laughed.  
  
~*~  
  
".it'd do you a world of good to pay attention to your brother and sister. They've been through this before and they can most certainly give you an idea about proper behavior while.."  
  
Meghan Weasley stared blankly at her father.watching his lips move.not really hearing anything.  
  
She shifted her gaze to the train behind them and resisted the urge to bolt past him onto the train.  
  
".so is that clear?" Percy asked.  
  
"Perfectly, clear," said Meghan quickly. She briefly wondered what she had agreed to and then dismissed the thought without any worries.  
  
"Good girl," said Percy habitually, and Meghan knew he didn't really think she was a good girl. Heck, she knew she wasn't the good one. "Now say goodbye to everyone. You're running behind, Catherine and Mortimer are already on the train!"  
  
Meghan looked exasperated. "We're the only people on the platform!"  
  
Percy gave her a stern look. "Other families have their own time table. That is their concern. You're behind on the Weasley time-table. Tempus fugit!"  
  
"Tempus fugit," muttered Meghan moodily under her breath. She sighed and held out her arms to embrace her father.  
  
Percy smiled funnily at her for a moment and Meghan, who felt a wave of guilt pass over her hugged her father tightly and didn't let go for a little bit. She'd probably miss his lectures.  
  
The normally staunch Minster of Magic actually looked a bit misty eyed as he pulled away. He cleared his throat and ushered her over to the rest of the family, minus her eldest sister and brother, who were indeed already on the train.  
  
The seven remaining children stood in a neat line and waited for their chance to say goodbyes to Meghan. By the end of it, Meghan was furtively wiping her eyes and all together ready to get on the train before she did something embarrassing.  
  
"All right then," said her mother putting an arm around Meghan's shoulders. "Are you ready?"  
  
Meghan hugged her tightly. "I'm very ready."  
  
"Be sure you behave yourself, and you'll be fine.." Penelope touched Meghan's nose and smiled at her fondly. "You're our independent one.I won't worry a wink about you getting homesick."  
  
Meghan tossed her curls confidently and grinned.  
  
"Hunter! Come back over here!" said Percy.  
  
"Goodbye!" Meghan called as she stepped onto the train steps and waved.  
  
Her brothers and sisters waved. "Goodbye!" they called.  
  
~*~  
  
"Have we got everything?" asked Harry worriedly.  
  
"Everything," said Chloe, "besides, I'll owl home if I need anything."  
  
"You'll owl us regardless," said Harry.  
  
"Harry," Ginny intervened.  
  
"I'll owl you, Daddy," promised Chloe, "and you too Jamesy."  
  
James was still sobbing in Harry's arms as they walked in the station. He yowled an undistinguishable response.  
  
"He'll be fine," said Ginny, she lowered her voice and smiled, "it's your father I'm worried about."  
  
"Look!" said Harry, hoping to distract James, "There's Uncle Percy and Aunt Penelope!"  
  
"I don't envy them," said Ginny to Harry, "I'm glad we don't have ten children to get across the barrier."  
  
"Well, they've got minus three now," said Harry.  
  
They waved at Percy and Penelope who were making sure their children were lined up and ready to leave.  
  
Harry began laughing quietly to himself. Ginny looked up. "What's got you tickled?" she asked.  
  
"Did it ever occur to you that your brother looks like he's leading a flock of geese?"  
  
Ginny covered her mouth with her hands and burst out laughing. "Harry!" she said.  
  
"I dare you to call Aunt Penny, Mother Goose," said Chloe wickedly.  
  
~*~  
  
They were still quite early, arriving at the platform at exactly ten o' clock.  
  
Harry had done it on purpose, hoping to miss the crowds of other students boarding the train and drawing as little attention to himself and his family. His plan had worked; the station was practically empty.  
  
A curious luggage loader was the only person around and he nearly tripped over himself as he took Chloe's luggage off the cart, trying to get a better look at Harry.  
  
Ginny smoothed a long strand of brown hair out of Chloe's green eyes. "Promise me you'll stay out of some trouble."  
  
Chloe laughed. "Just some?"  
  
"You're bound to get in it anyway with Meghan, so I figured staying out of some trouble was better than none at all."  
  
"Try not to stress Aunt Hermione out too much," said Harry, "but let out all the stops with.."  
  
Ginny interrupted him. "Professor Granger. You know she doesn't play favorites, try not to call her Aunt Hermione. As for Professor Snape, don't get on his bad side, even though your father would be delighted if you were."  
  
"I was going to say Professor Lu-"  
  
"Enough," said Ginny firmly, she smiled and took Harry's hand.  
  
James tugged on Chloe's skirt and looked up at her sniffling. "Promise we'll finish reading Alice in Wonderland when you get home?"  
  
"Promise," said Chloe with a nod. "We won't skip any of it."  
  
James gestured for Chloe to come nearer and he stood on his tiptoes and whispered in her ear. "Good. Daddy is really horrible at the voices. He uses the same one for the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat."  
  
"I know," Chloe whispered back, glancing at Harry with a grin. "He's really bad at it."  
  
"I'll miss you," said James hugging her.  
  
"Chloe!" shouted Meghan, as she hung out of a train window. "You're here! Hi, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny! Hi, James!"  
  
The Potters waved back and smiled.  
  
With one last wave to her family, Chloe bounded up the train steps, cheeks flushed with excitement.  
  
~*~  
  
Chloe shouldered her bag and smoothed the pleats of her skirt as she walked down the train corridor. She couldn't help the wide grin spreading across her face as she reminded herself that she was actually on the Hogwarts Express.  
  
The glass on the other sliding doors shuddered as one of the doors slid open loudly. Chloe saw her best friend skid out of one of the compartments and run towards her.  
  
Meghan hit her with a solid thump, the girls laughed and linked arms.  
  
"I can't believe it's today!" said Meghan with a delighted skip. "I mean, after all the imagining we've done to try and guess what Hogwarts would be like, we're finally going to find out."  
  
"It's going to be so wonderful!" said Chloe.  
  
"Well, I'm really glad you're here early. Catherine and Mortimer are making me sit with their friends. I'm about to scream with boredom. I never really thought I could find anyone more boring than the-."  
  
"Their friends are here early too? I thought my Dad only made me go early because he wanted to avoid crowds.."  
  
"They wouldn't have a problem with that," said Meghan rolling her eyes, "I just think they're.what's the word?"  
  
"Overly prompt?" suggested Chloe.  
  
"Saps," said Meghan, shaking her head.  
  
Chloe giggled. "Thanks for the warning."  
  
"Right, here we are.please don't let us get stuck with them.okay?"  
  
Chloe nodded and slid open the door.  
  
Catherine and Mortimer were sitting with three other kids that looked up at them when they opened the door.  
  
"Well, Meghan, I see you've brought Chloe back," said Mortimer in a cool voice, "after you ran out of here rather.rudely. I know Father would be appalled."  
  
"She's just very excitable," said Catherine to a blonde girl sitting next to her with neatly plaited hair. "She'd run everywhere if Father and Mum let her."  
  
The blonde girl nodded in a very sympathetic manner. "Is this your cousin?"  
  
"I'm Chloe," said Chloe stepping into the compartment and shaking the girl's hand.  
  
"Betsy Montgomery," said the girl.  
  
"This is William and Benjamin Biddle," said Mortimer motioning towards his friends. Chloe noted that they were identical twins. "I don't think Meghan had time to meet them, before she ran out of the compartment like a wild hea-."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," said Chloe interrupting him.  
  
Meghan stepped next to her and grasped the twin's hands. "Ben and Bill Biddle. Got it."  
  
"William," said one.  
  
"Benjamin," said the other, rather snootily.  
  
Meghan raised an eyebrow. "Meg-han," she said pointing to herself.  
  
Chloe repressed the giggled that threatened to escape her throat.  
  
"We've always thought that nicknames are extremely lazy," said Benjamin Biddle.  
  
"Aren't they Chlo?" said Meghan taking her seat. "I quite agree."  
  
Chloe noticed that Catherine and Mortimer looked mutinous. She really couldn't help but think that they had really asked for it. They couldn't really have expected for Meghan to start being, --well, them-- for the sake of their friends.  
  
"So," said William clearing his throat. "I expect you're eager to start school?"  
  
Chloe and Meghan stared. "Er. Yes."  
  
Talk about an understatement, thought Chloe.  
  
Betsy smiled at them. "I really like your hair, Meghan. Does it curl like that naturally?"  
  
"I'm the only one with curly hair, except Mum," said Meghan, "the others have straight hair like Cath's and Morty's ."  
  
"I see," said Betsy sounding mildly interested, "I see why Catherine said you're the different one."  
  
Chloe opened her mouth to tell Betsy that Meghan's curly hair was not the reason that Catherine called her different, but Betsy continued talking.  
  
"Do you sew?" she asked.  
  
Chloe and Meghan paused and looked at each other blankly. "Sew what?"  
  
Betsy beamed and reached into her bag and displayed a piece of scarlet fabric with a few things appliquéd on it. "Catherine and I are making book bags."  
  
"For fun?" asked Meghan, "I didn't know that, Cath. No wonder you were holed up in your room all summer!"  
  
"I was not holed up, Meghan," replied Catherine, "I simply didn't go outside and get sunburned to a crisp, like you. You're going to be very sorry when you ruin your complexion."  
  
Betsy nodded at Chloe and Meghan. "The sun is very bad on your skin. I stay indoors during the summer."  
  
Chloe looked horrified. "How do you play Quidditch? Or go swimming or.."  
  
"I don't play Quidditch," replied Betsy, brushing an invisible speck of dirt off her tights, "it's far too dangerous to play! Girls who play Quidditch really don't get the greatest reputations. Mum calls them tomboys."  
  
"Uncle Charlie calls girls who don't play Quidditch wim--," began Meghan.  
  
"Well, I suppose it's a matter of opinion!" interrupted Chloe quickly.  
  
"You know," said Meghan standing up, "I'm starving! I think I'll go look for the witch with the food cart that Uncle Ron told me about."  
  
"She isn't around this early!" said Catherine.  
  
"We'll go check! Maybe this year she will be!" said Meghan grabbing Chloe's wrist and bolting out the compartment again.  
  
"Nice to meet you," called Chloe over her shoulder as she was whisked into the hallway.  
  
~*~  
  
"Were they boring or what?" said Meghan setting her bag down and grinning.  
  
"They were pretty.boring," agreed Chloe, pulling her feet under her. "I'm not a tomboy because I like Quidditch!"  
  
Meghan's playful blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "Nope. They're just prisses. I don't exactly like Quidditch, but I'd start playing if that's what it took to not be like them."  
  
"Well, at least they occupy themselves.making.um. things."  
  
"It's not our fault we're us anyway," said Meghan innocently. "It's also not our fault that Morty and Catherine are such sticks in the mud and they've made it our job to make up for the Weasley name. Plus, you're a Potter. Your dad wants you to cause trouble."  
  
"He didn't say that!" said Chloe with a grin.  
  
"He implied it," said Meghan.  
  
"Well, he's the one that told me stories.."  
  
"Guess what my mum gave me!" said Meghan.  
  
"A lecture?"  
  
"No," said Meghan making a smirking face at her. "Look!"  
  
Meghan loosened a small bag around the top of her knapsack and pulled out a small jet-black kitten.  
  
Chloe let out a delighted cry. "Let me see!"  
  
Meghan proudly handed over the kitten, which fit easily into Chloe's palms.  
  
"He's so tiny!" said Chloe. "Look at his little face! Why'd you get him?"  
  
"Mum surprised me. She said we had too many family owls. She saw the kitten and thought of me."  
  
"That was nice!" said Chloe nuzzling the kitten. She stroked the kitten's tiny head with one finger and noted that even its little sniffling nose was jet black. "What's his name?"  
  
"Her name," said Meghan kissing the top of the kitten's head, "is Monster."  
  
Chloe stared at her best friend and laughed. "She's not a Monster! She's positively angelic!"  
  
The kitten gave a tiny yawn and fell over in Chloe's lap with a clumsy plop.  
  
"No," insisted Meghan, "Look at that! She just tried to bite your hand off!"  
  
"She yawned!" laughed Chloe.  
  
"That's because she missed!" said Meghan. "Monster is going to grow up to be an attack cat. She doesn't take anything from anyone. She's vicious."  
  
The vicious kitten mewed, and then fell right on her face as she tried to walk on Chloe's leg.  
  
"You're vicious all right," giggled Chloe as she held up the kitten. "Aren't you, Monster?"  
  
Monster swiped playfully at Chloe's nose.  
  
"Watch out!" hooted Meghan with glee, "She's going to get a piece of you!"  
  
The velvety paw touched Chloe's nose and she laughed harder.  
  
"Did you happen to tell your mum what you named her?" asked Chloe, handing her back her kitten.  
  
"No, I forgot. I think Mum wanted me to name her Tulip or Daisy. I don't think Mum knows that Monster is a very vicious cat, she'd rather shred tulips than be called it."  
  
Monster was playfully batting at one of Meghan's curls. She didn't look quite capable of shredding tulips yet.  
  
~*~  
  
"Are you scared?" asked Chloe suddenly. She turned away from the streaming green countryside and looked at Meghan, who had her sketchbook, penciling a sketch of Monster asleep on the seat.  
  
"Scared of what?" said Meghan giving Chloe a blank look.  
  
Chloe studied her fingernails and a blush crept up her neck. "Well, it was stupid of me to bring it up. Of course, you're not nervous."  
  
"I have to hear this," said Meghan scooting on the edge of her seat, "Chloe Potter.nervous about something. I should mark down the day."  
  
"Shut up," smiled Chloe. "I.I just don't know what will happen to me."  
  
"I think the train is going to stop at the station, we get out and go to Hogwarts. Anything else?"  
  
"Then we're sorted," blurted Chloe.  
  
"So.."  
  
"So, you know what house you'll be in!" said Chloe sharply. "I don't."  
  
"Back up," said Meghan, "you lost me."  
  
Chloe fiddled with the hem on her robes. "You know, Meghan. Stop trying to be oblivious. I'm not a Potter."  
  
"My foot you aren't," said Meghan rolling her eyes.  
  
"But Meghan, I'm not!" said Chloe, worry showing on her face. "You know I'm not their real daughter. I'm Muggle-born."  
  
"Hmph," said Meghan. "I don't see your point. Your last name is Potter. Technically you ARE related to your dad, adopted or not. You're also a witch. What's the worry?"  
  
Chloe sighed. Meghan knew the story, but it didn't sound like she was going to understand.  
  
When Chloe was five-years old her biological father, Dudley Dursley, had written to Harry Potter, asking for a visit, this was unusual, because Harry had hated the Dursleys and had vowed never to see them again. The feeling had been mutual until the arrival of Dudley's letter and the discovery that Dudley's daughter, was a witch. Harry agreed to take Chloe out of the cruel care of the Dursleys and adopted her as his own daughter. Later, Harry had married Ginny Weasley, Chloe's new nursery school teacher, and Harry's long time friend.  
  
"What if I don't make it into Gryffindor? I mean, since I'm not really a Potter. I don't automatically get into Gryffindor."  
  
"Who cares? I'd kill to be in a house besides Gryffindor!"  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes. "And why is that, Meg?"  
  
"Well," said Meghan with a smirk, "the way I see it, the Weasley family is in a Gryffindor rut. It should be my job to start spreading the Weasleys to all the other houses. I would kill to see the look on my dad's face when he found out I was sorted into Hufflepuff!"  
  
Chloe smiled weakly. She knew Meghan was only joking. Meghan really did want to be in Gryffindor like the rest of her family. She was always the rebellious one, but she doubted Meghan's tirade included plans to be put anywhere besides Gryffindor, which had been understood as the best house before she could even pronounce Gryffindor.  
  
"I'd like to see that too," said Chloe, imagining her Uncle Percy's reaction for a moment.  
  
She felt for the first time and last time, a pang of jealousy for her best friend and cousin. Meghan didn't have to worry about the sorting. She'd be in Gryffindor and that was all that was to it. Now, Chloe on the other hand simply had to be put in Gryffindor. She had to prove to herself and her father that she really was a Potter. Of course, if she was sorted anywhere else, the family would congratulate her as if it were normal. They never said it, but they all knew that she was the adopted one and she hadn't got into Gryffindor because she wasn't a real Potter. Her father had told her countless times, when she asked him about her sorting, that he didn't care what house she was put into. She was his daughter and he would be proud of her regardless. Chloe merely shrugged this off as a speech that she felt that her father had to make. All parents made those silly speeches.they really didn't want their children to be put in other houses. Chloe wanted to be put into Gryffindor so badly that it ached to think about it.  
  
"You'll be put into Gryffindor," said Meghan, shaking Chloe out of her thoughts, "I'm serious."  
  
Chloe nodded at her, not wishing to continue the pointless conversation. "Thanks, Meggy."  
  
She pulled her knapsack into her lap and started searching for her book.  
  
A rolled up parchment fell to the compartment floor and Chloe reached for it curiously.  
  
It was a letter.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
To my dear readers:  
  
Well, here we are again. Back at the beginning of a story with a Potter. More specifically, Miss Chloe Potter.  
  
This sequel was never dreamed up for Lessons for Life until the readers asked for it. I found myself wanting to write one as I got closer and closer to the end of Lessons.  
  
So I began to ask myself.can I grow up five-year old Chloe realistically? Can I make a Hogwarts fic without succumbing to any boring clichés? Can I twist something into a halfway interesting plotline? Can I actually write believable new characters that people will actually WANT to see?  
  
We'll see all the old Lessons for Life characters, being as quirky as ever. (I can't leave Harry out of the story! Are you crazy?!) I'm fighting to keep all the Weasley's as prominent as ever and we'll see lots of crazy new people barging into the Harry Potter universe.the Chloe Potter branch anyway.  
  
Here's to hoping you like it! Cheers! Please read and review!  
  
Caitlyn  
  
Disclaimer: Alice in Wonderland belongs to Mr. Lewis Carroll. Mother Goose belongs to well, Mother Goose. Tempus Fugit is Latin for 'Time Flies' I thought it sounded like Percy. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter characters belong to her. I'm only borrowing for the sake of fun. 


	2. The Letter From Someone

Chapter Two: The Letter From Someone  
  
  
  
31, August 2011  
  
Dear Chloe,  
  
You haven't even left for school yet, as I write this.but I already miss you terribly. You and James are making an obscene amount of noise in your room and the thought of how different this house will sound tomorrow night seems very unbelievable.  
  
Going to Hogwarts is such a huge step in your life. It's the first step in becoming an adult in the wizarding world. I remember how scary it was to make some of the choices that I knew would affect me for the rest of my life.  
  
Did you know I can remember my Sorting Ceremony so vividly that it's like I'm sitting on that stool being Sorted all over again? It's simply one of those moments in your life that is etched into your memories forever. I really was terrified of the Sorting. I barely knew who I was and everyone already had these great expectations for me. And yet, I learned later that by simply trusting what I believed in. I was put exactly where I belonged.  
  
Even though I'm sure you're perfectly confident about your Sorting.I'm going to share a small piece of wisdom someone passed onto me when I was young-  
  
"It is our choices that show what we truly are."  
  
I'm not very good at explaining things like that, but I always thought that it meant something along these lines: In the moments that we are given control of our destiny. it is important to stand up for who you are and take your future in the direction you want it to go. Or, in other words.grab the dragon by the horns, pull hard and hope.  
  
Your future lies before you, and you've got everything you need to make it into something beautiful. I've got every confidence that you'll take it and mould it into what you want. And your family will be here every step of the way. You're a Potter, and we love you.  
  
And finally, one last piece of advice even though I doubt that I have to remind you of this. Aidan Malfoy will be starting at Hogwarts with you this year. I know this goes without saying, but tempers between Potters and Malfoys have a tendency to boil over quite quickly. Please, make it easier on everyone and simply avoid each other. There comes a time when we should put family honour aside and let rivalry die.  
  
Enjoy the start of term and write soon. We miss you and love you very much.  
  
Your father,  
  
Harry  
  
  
  
Chloe folded the letter with a frown. Aidan Malfoy. That was one name she most certainly didn't want to think about, much less see at school. She wound the drawstring of her bag around her finger, deep in thought. Could she really pretend he wasn't there? Would he leave her alone? Chloe swallowed and unwound the drawstring from her finger, which had turned purple. Setting her mouth in a firm line, she decided she would worry about one thing at a time. First Sorting, then Aidan.  
  
Chloe unfolded and read the letter again. She tried to ignore the lump in her throat, but the words 'Show what we truly are' kept coming back to her. That was her test. The hat would know what she truly was. and Chloe wasn't feeling confident that simply trusting what she believed in would work! It was easy for her father to say. He never questioned what he believed in because he was always right.  
  
She hastily put the letter away and tried to think of anything besides how nice it would be to be back at Havenwood with her family. She couldn't think like that. She'd been waiting too long for all of this.  
  
Meghan had slumped down in the seat, still clutching her sketchpad, Monster curled up in her lap. Chloe decided that she would read a book and not disturb them. Just as she was settling into the story, someone threw open the door to the compartment and barged in.  
  
Loud laughter was heard in the corridor and the person who had entered, halted and stared at Chloe, as if she wasn't the one who belonged there.  
  
"Wrong compartment, Kinsley!" cried one of the laughing voices.  
  
Chloe noticed he wore a Gryffindor tie along with the blank look on his face.  
  
"Oh!" he said, laughing along with his friends. "Sorry, about that! I've got a horrible memory!  
  
"Obviously," grumbled Meghan, who had opened her eyes to see the cause of the noise.  
  
"First years?" he asked.  
  
Chloe nodded, Meghan didn't respond.  
  
He backed out of the compartment, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, again!"  
  
"It's okay," said Chloe.  
  
The door slammed shut.  
  
Meghan muttered darkly about him being stupid and something Chloe couldn't exactly make out.  
  
"Well, at least they weren't Catherine and Mortimer's friends," said Meghan, flipping a page of her sketchbook.  
  
"He seemed friendly."  
  
"So are stray dogs."  
  
Chloe laughed. "He was in Gryffindor. I saw the tie."  
  
~*~  
  
James gave another watery sob and tried to take another bite of his chocolate pudding. Harry pushed his spoon around his dish and didn't have the heart to reprimand James for crying at the dinner table.  
  
Dinner at Havenwood had been a quiet and bleak affair without Chloe. Harry hadn't had much appetite, and he noticed that Ginny hadn't touched her dinner or dessert either. He could hardly tell James to stop crying for his sister because he missed her, but he had yet to think of a good parenting solution. Obviously, Ginny hadn't either, because James hadn't stopped ever since they'd left the train station.  
  
"Sweetheart," said Ginny, "please don't cry. Chloe would be so upset if she saw you like this."  
  
James took a deep breath, and Harry noted that a large teardrop fell into the pudding. "M-m-mum-mummy, can't I have an aging potion, so I can go t-t- oo?"  
  
Harry gave Ginny an exhausted look. Muggle parents got off so easily.  
  
"No, sweetheart."  
  
Another tear plopped into James' pudding, and he looked at Harry pathetically. Harry shook his head, feeling extremely guilty.  
  
"But, I m-m-miss her!" James stuttered through his tears.  
  
"What would I do if both of you went away?" asked Harry. "I'd be really lonely."  
  
"You have Mummy," sniffed James. He wiped his face with his robe sleeve, and Harry saw Ginny wince, but skip the lecture on that also.  
  
Drat, thought Harry. Why did he have to have smart children? Teardrop number three fell into the pudding.  
  
Ginny pushed her chair away from the table. "Come here," she said, holding her arms open.  
  
James wasted no time to get in her lap, and his sobs were muffled when he buried his face in her robes. Harry could make out a very clear, "I want Chloe!"  
  
Ginny rubbed James' back and looked quite concerned as she quieted him. Harry would have liked to say that he wanted Chloe home too, but he was sure that would be defeating the point.  
  
"He's exhausted," sighed Ginny.  
  
"I'm not, Mummy," sobbed James, "I'm not frosted at all! I didn't spill anything!"  
  
Ginny shushed him with a small smile and continued to pat his back. Harry knew it was only a matter of time before James fell right to sleep.  
  
And he was correct, no more than five minutes later, James was sleeping on Ginny's shoulder, with the occasional shuddering sigh.  
  
"Poor, James," said Harry, brushing James' dark hair out of his face. "It's tough to be four."  
  
"And to have your beloved sister leave you, for a seemingly forever amount of time," Ginny sympathized. "I didn't know it would be this hard on him."  
  
"They are close," said Harry, "but, I bet he'll be happier in the morning."  
  
"I arranged for Ron and Hermione to bring Laura to play tomorrow night," nodded Ginny, "I thought he'd like it."  
  
"He will like that," said Harry. "Let me take him up to his bed."  
  
Ginny brushed a kiss on James' forehead and Harry lifted him easily out of her arms and had a sad recollection to when he'd done the same with Chloe, carrying her up to her bed.  
  
When Harry came back downstairs, Ginny was standing in front of the dining room, smiling at him.  
  
"What are you smiling at?" Harry couldn't help but smile back, and he crossed the room drawing her into a hug.  
  
"No children," said Ginny, "they're asleep or away. What are we going to do with ourselves?"  
  
Harry tried to kiss her though his laughter. "I don't believe it."  
  
"Believe it, Mr. Potter." Ginny wrapped her arms around him and ran a seductive line of kisses along his neck.  
  
"If you keep that up," Harry shuddered delightedly, "we're not going to have this 'no children' problem anymore, because I know exactly what we can.." He didn't get to finish his sentence due to Ginny kissing him full on the mouth, and he completely forgot what he was going to say.  
  
Ginny pulled away and gave Harry a long look. "Upstairs?" It actually sounded more like a statement, but either way, Harry wasn't going to argue when she turned gracefully and ascended the steps like a queen, her honey colored robes trailing behind her, shining in the light.  
  
Harry didn't bother going up the stairs gracefully; he bolted.  
  
Ginny laughed when Harry scrambled into their bedroom and hurriedly shut the door behind him.  
  
"Would you like to catch your breath?" She covered her mouth with her hand and laughed as he smacked into the bureau while trying to take his boots off in a hurry.  
  
"What's the point?" asked Harry bluntly  
  
Ginny laughed again. "Romance is officially dead."  
  
"We have a four year old, take your pick between the two, my love."  
  
"Yes, but when Chloe was five.."  
  
"The first child is mercifully easy. It's a giant trick to get people to have more children." Harry smiled and kissed the back of her hand.  
  
"Chloe was such a good little girl," Ginny said thoughtfully, as Harry ran his hand through her hair and caressed the back of her neck.  
  
"Mmm-hmm," said Harry, trying very hard not to get involved in the conversation.  
  
"So bright," Ginny continued, "always wanting to know why something worked a certain way.."  
  
Harry let his hand fall to his side and gave a great sigh. "Yes."  
  
"And that wild imagination," Ginny said, her voice quavering a bit. "Remember when she was absolutely convinced that a hobgoblin lived in the pantry?"  
  
Harry laid his head on Ginny's shoulder and hugged her. "The house-elves were convinced of it also. I had to put up warding spells just to get them to go into the pantry again."  
  
Ginny gave a short laugh, and Harry felt a tear splash on his neck.  
  
"Shhh."  
  
"She's grown up," Ginny said, her voice shaking with tears.  
  
Harry swayed gently on the spot, comforting her. "She's only eleven, she's got plenty left to grow into, Gin."  
  
"I'm sorry," Ginny said pulling away, wiping her face. "I sound just like James.carrying on like that. We get a moments free time with each other.and look what I go and do with it.."  
  
Harry ran his thumb over her cheek. "You can do whatever you want with it."  
  
"You're horribly sweet."  
  
Harry made a playful face at her. "So you're complaining about me being nice?"  
  
Ginny's lips brushed over the skin just under his earlobe, and Harry closed his eyes blissfully.  
  
"I'm not complaining though," he added hastily.  
  
"You could shut up and kiss me," murmured Ginny. "Get our minds off of things."  
  
"Shutting up, most definitely shutting up."  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Mmmm?"  
  
"That wasn't me, darling," Ginny said pulling away. Harry's shirt was unbuttoned down the front.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said it wasn't me."  
  
Harry swore and glanced at the fireplace, which had blue flames flickering in it.  
  
"I don't have to answer that, do I?"  
  
Ginny sighed, sat down on the edge of the bed and waved impatiently at the fireplace.  
  
"Just talk to whoever that is."  
  
Harry tossed the screen blocking the fireplace off to the side. It hit the marble hearth with a loud clang and Harry faced the fire, shirt still unbuttoned.  
  
"What is it?" he asked impatiently.  
  
Ron's face appeared.  
  
"Hey, Harry."  
  
"Ron, why are you calling so late?" Harry glared at him.  
  
"It's.seven o' clock. That's not la-," Ron looked at Harry and something clicked. "Ohhh. Sorry. Was I interrupting something important?"  
  
"You honestly wouldn't want to know. What did you want?" Harry leaned against a chair and crossed his arms.  
  
"I was just going to tell you that Laura can't come tomorrow. I forgot that Hermione has music lessons for her on Tuesdays."  
  
"That's okay."  
  
"Chloe get off to school all right?"  
  
"Ron, do yourself a favor and don't let your daughter get older."  
  
"Oh, but you see, she's already five going on twenty-four." Ron wrinkled his nose, which still was dotted with freckles. "Laura's got things worked out better than I do. I told Hermione that it was a bad idea to teach her to read at three.just to let her be a kid, but-."  
  
Ginny cleared her throat loudly.  
  
"Great," Harry interrupted him and shoved the screen in front of the fire. "Talk to you later, mate."  
  
"Harry? What?"  
  
~*~  
  
Professor Hermione Granger waited patiently for the first years to scramble up the pathway to the castle from the boats. Hermione smiled to herself, the first years always ran. She hadn't found many eleven-year olds that didn't run everywhere. When every last one had assembled on the stairs with quite a bit of chatter about their first look at the castle, Hermione let herself be seen.  
  
"Good evening," she said, stepping into view.  
  
There was immediate silence, and Hermione flicked her wand at the two torches on either side of the ancient oak doors. They flickered to life and cast a glow upon all the anxious, excited, and even astounded faces.  
  
Hermione liked this the best about first years. They were always so eager to make a good start. She studied their faces for a moment, noting her two nieces and a few other students who looked very much related to some of her current students.  
  
With another wand movement, the front doors began to creak open, and Hermione strode through them. There were sounds of flapping shoelaces and scuffling feet another tell-tale trademark of first years.  
  
~*~  
  
Meghan nudged Chloe's elbow as they walked into the Great Hall. "Look at this place! Catherine did a pitiful job of describing it."  
  
Chloe felt a surge of excitement at the sight of all the other students, and then her stomach immediately sunk when she saw the empty seats at the end of the Gryffindor table. Please oh please, let me sit there, she thought to herself, crossing her fingers under her robe sleeves.  
  
Meghan, who wasn't preoccupied with such things, nonchalantly dumped Monster into Catherine's lap as they passed her between the tables. Even the always-composed Catherine couldn't hide her surprise of having a kitten plopped into her lap. Chloe heard Catherine hiss an unmistakable, "Meghan!" after her yelp.  
  
Meghan shrugged as they kept walking. "What does she think I'm going to do? Take her up there to be Sorted with me? That's just silly."  
  
Chloe was sure that Meghan also thought that putting Monster in a travel cage and just leaving her to be put in her dormitory with the rest of the luggage was also a silly idea.  
  
When they made it up to the front of the Hall, Chloe bit her lower lip and drew a shaky breath. She didn't think she had ever been so nervous in her entire life.  
  
"URGH!" She heard Meghan exclaim next to her. "Can't they get a new hat?"  
  
Chloe swallowed and let her gaze fall on the hat that Professor Granger had just set out in front of them. She tried to find something else to distract her. She didn't want to hear the song.she wanted to get it over with. Chloe began to fiercely examine the ceiling. Maybe she could count stars or floating candlesticks.or..  
  
"What're you doing?" Meghan whispered. "You look like you've gone mad, gaping at the ceiling like that."  
  
"You're one to talk," Chloe whispered back. "You dragged your cat into the Sorting Ceremony."  
  
Professor Granger unrolled a parchment and cleared her throat. "Applewhite, Gloria."  
  
Meghan sighed softly. "At least you aren't a Weasley, Chloe. We're almost always last.."  
  
Chloe shook her head and didn't reply.  
  
"Look at that," Meghan said watching Gloria Applewhite bound off the stool, "first one is a Gryffindor."  
  
Chloe tried to ignore the Sorting and looked at the staff table. She hadn't seen Professor Snape since she was five years old, and she barely remembered him from then. She had heard the horror stories from her uncles, but he looked decidedly less frightening than the Sorting Hat did at this moment. Maybe she was blowing things out of proportion.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!" shouted the hat.  
  
Chloe jumped. Maybe not.  
  
She looked back up at the staff table and saw her Uncle Remus. Well, he was Professor Lupin here. Chloe was distracted for a few moments when she noticed how important he looked up at the high table and how he was paying complete attention to the ceremony, clapping politely for each student. Chloe hoped he'd be applauding for her being Sorted into his old house in a few minutes.  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
Chloe watched a boy grin as he took off the hat. Okay, if she wasn't put into Gryffindor, what would happen? Nothing really. she'd just be different. Maybe she wasn't meant to be in Gryffindor. The world wouldn't end if she weren't sorted into her family's house. But Chloe didn't want to imagine the look on her father's fa-  
  
"Malfoy, Aidan."  
  
Chloe froze and held her breath as Aidan Malfoy brushed past everyone on his way up to the dais.  
  
"Oh, like that's hard," Meghan said softly. "I could Sort that one for it."  
  
Chloe stared at Aidan. He walked up to the dais with such an air of confidence that she actually felt disgusted for a moment rather than worried.  
  
He looked like he needed to spend more time outdoors as his skin was very pale, and his eyes looked frighteningly dark in contrast. His neatly combed hair was exactly the color of the fresh butter they had with breakfast at Havenwood, barely pale-yellow and right on the edge of being white.  
  
Chloe nodded her agreement and looked away from Aidan. She didn't want to watch this either.she didn't want to have anything to do with Aidan Malfoy. They could simply leave each other alone and probably never have to say one word to each other. It was an easy solution. They would stay in their respective houses, and everyone would be happy..  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Chloe's head snapped up. She hadn't heard right.she hadn't heard right.. He was in.she hadn't heard right..  
  
Chloe suddenly felt very ill.  
  
~*~  
  
Have you hugged your stuffed dragon today? Join Chloe's Bookshelf!  
  
Author note: I bet you forgot I like cliffhangers, didn't you? It's lovely to see everyone in the fandom react so positively to my sequel! I can't wait to really get into the story.it's going to be fun! Special thanks to Anne, who betaed this and thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! I was so worried about it!  
  
Caitlyn 


	3. In Which Cait Stops Teasing the Reader

Chapter Three- In which Caitie stops tormenting the readers.  
  
~*~  
  
"HE'S GOING TO KILL US!"  
  
The blood-curdling shriek caused each and every last student to turn around to stare at Meghan, pointing at Aidan and screaming at the top of her lungs.  
  
Remus was relieved to see Mortimer swoop out of his seat and clamp a hand over his sister's mouth. Meghan was still putting up an admirable fight to be heard; even after she had been tackled he could still hear her muffled cries.  
  
When Remus saw Chloe's expression, his heart sank. As an uncle, he wanted to rush over and fix the look of utter despair on her face. Yet, he knew he couldn't do anything to help her at the moment: he wasn't Uncle Remus, he was Professor Lupin.  
  
Aidan Malfoy was standing frozen to the spot with a look of confusion and unmistakable agony on his face. This wasn't supposed to happen.no one truly regretted their sorting decision.  
  
A loud babble had risen up from the student tables and the benches scraped on the stone floor as people squirmed around to get a better look at Aidan and then Meghan.  
  
"SILENCE!" bellowed Snape, rising out of his chair. "There will not be a mockery of this Sorting Ceremony!"  
  
Deep silence indeed followed Snape's order, and then came a soft tink-tink- tink after someone accidentally knocked their fork off the table.  
  
Oh bravo, Severus, thought Remus, just scare the rest of the first years right through the floor.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy," snapped Snape, pointing firmly at the Gryffindor table, "you will sit down immediately."  
  
Although he was an excellent headmaster, Severus Snape most certainly lacked in the people skills department. Luckily, Hermione was his deputy- headmistress and covered those bases for him. Hermione had insisted to every family member who dared scorn Snape's character that he wasn't awful in the least. You just had to get to know him, she would say tirelessly.  
  
Remus always remained politely silent on the issue, but privately agreed with every last swear word Harry and Ron had colorfully described Snape with. He also felt extremely fortunate that it was Hermione who did all the staff hiring, or else he wouldn't have had an opportunity to ever teach again.  
  
Remus was quite surprised that Aidan didn't put up a fight but simply sat down at the Gryffindor table and assumed an extremely dejected expression, staring at the wood.  
  
~*~  
  
"Meghan!" Mortimer hissed, after the Sorting resumed and it was safe to make some sort of noise again. "What on earth did you scream for?" He unclamped his hand from over her mouth and his normally perfectly groomed hair was looking quite frazzled.  
  
"Why didn't you?" Meghan replied angrily. She was much paler than usual and her face was wrought with concern. "He's going to get Ch-."  
  
Mortimer drew a deep breath and calmly put his hair back to sorts. "The Professors will take care of it! You don't see Chloe getting all worked up over this!"  
  
With the mention of her name, Chloe realized that she probably should be howling along with Meghan about this. But. she couldn't. It simply didn't feel real. It was like she was watching all of this from an outside window looking in.  
  
Mortimer left them after a firm whispered order to keep quiet, and his cheeks flushed bright red.  
  
"You've got to write to your dad," Meghan whispered urgently, "he'll make it right."  
  
Chloe felt herself nodding. Her dad. What would he think of all this? She felt her mind start to wander again.  
  
"You look like you're going to faint," Meghan said, "green and everything."  
  
Chloe nodded, still not able to speak. There was a glimmer of comfort when Meghan slipped her hand into hers and looked sympathetically at her.  
  
"Uncle Harry'll make it okay.."  
  
"Potter, Chloe," Professor Granger called.  
  
Chloe lifted her green eyes to the dais and swallowed. Meghan squeezed her hand before dropping it.  
  
"Go tell that stupid hat a thing or two. You're a Potter," she said firmly.  
  
Miraculously, a small bit of Chloe's resolve came crashing back, and she climbed up to the dais and even managed to glare at the hat. Yes, Meghan was right, it was just a stupid hat. She knew where she belonged and she would tell it so.  
  
I'm a Gryffindor, she thought as she placed the hat on her head.  
  
Positive of that, are you?  
  
Yes, Chloe thought without hesitation.  
  
Your self-assurance is admirable, Chloe Potter. But you haven't questioned your placement at all? I thought so.  
  
But I know I'm a Gryffindor!  
  
Insistent.very insistent. Much like your father, you know.  
  
Chloe gulped. What was the hat talking about? But, my father was a Gryffindor..  
  
Yes he was. At his choice too.  
  
The meaning of her father's letter became crystal clear. Chloe took a deep breath. Then I want to make my choice too! I choose-  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Chloe's heart almost took a flying leap out of her chest. That had done it. Every doubt she had in herself had been shattered. There was light applause, and Chloe jumped off the stool feeling as though she had wings on her shoes and she could soar right off into the starry ceiling.  
  
She saw her Aunt Hermione beaming at her and Meghan clapping wildly, and then she saw Aidan Malfoy. Now Chloe didn't feel confused about the situation, she felt indigence bubble up as she saw him sitting at her house table.  
  
Aidan Malfoy didn't belong in Gryffindor! He didn't even look happy! Chloe sat down next to Catherine and decided she would most definitely never give him another thought. Mortimer was right; the Professors would re-Sort him.  
  
Catherine smiled sweetly at Chloe. "I'm so glad you're in Gryffindor, Chloe. Everyone will be so happy."  
  
"Thanks," replied Chloe, still feeling flushed with all the excitement.  
  
Mortimer held up his palm stiffly and smiled. Chloe realized he was trying to high-five her.  
  
"Oh," she said awkwardly, and lightly slapped palms with him. "Thanks, Mortimer."  
  
"Good show, Chloe."  
  
Chloe fought back her giggle. Her cousins were so weird sometimes.  
  
Catherine deposited Monster into Chloe's hands like a brick. "Would you mind taking this?"  
  
Chloe smiled and patted Monster. "Not at all."  
  
"And finally, Weasley, Meghan," Professor Granger called.  
  
Chloe turned in her seat, holding her breath in anticipation.  
  
Not Hufflepuff, Meg, she thought. Don't you dare go to another house.I don't care how different you want to be, you're a-  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Chloe gave a short squeal of happiness. Catherine and Mortimer were clapping approvingly.  
  
"Father will be so pleased," he said with obvious relief, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.  
  
Meghan arrived at the table in a tumble of curls, talking, and general commotion.  
  
"I'm so glad you're in Gryffindor, Meghan," Chloe heard Catherine repeat.  
  
"Thanks a million, Cath," Meghan said taking Monster from Chloe.  
  
As expected, Mortimer held up his palm again and waited.  
  
Meghan stared at him blankly. "You got a question, Morty?"  
  
Mortimer snorted in frustration and stuck his hand out further towards her.  
  
"And we call those hands," Meghan said slowly. "You okay?"  
  
Chloe laughed and leaned over to whisper in Meghan's ear.  
  
"Oh!" Meghan said. She high-fived her brother but still gave him an odd look.  
  
Headmaster Snape rose from his chair, and Chloe was immediately fascinated with him. She had heard her family speak of him, and their descriptions seemed to match. Supposedly she had met him when she was smaller, but Chloe didn't remember it.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts. You are all very fortunate to be attending this esteemed institution for your magical education."  
  
Chloe thought that this sounded very rehearsed. The Headmaster didn't seem the type to spend an excess amount of time on welcoming speeches.  
  
"Returning students will help you adapt to life here, whether it be study habits. or behavioral expectations. You will give the Hogwarts name the dignity and respect it deserves." The Headmaster cleared his throat dryly and looked around, his gaze resting several places before continuing.  
  
"Behavioral problems, if any, will be dealt with by Heads of Houses and Prefects and occasionally, our care-taker, Mr. Argus Filch."  
  
He paused and waved an impatient hand in a general direction, almost as an afterthought.  
  
"Is that cat dead?" Meghan quietly exclaimed, to Chloe's left.  
  
"I think so," Chloe whispered back, eyes wide. "It's just. laying in his arms."  
  
"It looks like it has that disease. um. you know.."  
  
"The plague?" suggested Chloe  
  
"No, no, that's not the one. although," Meghan squinted, "maybe."  
  
"Mange?"  
  
"Ahem."  
  
Meghan and Chloe suddenly noticed Mortimer glaring at them and tried to keep from grinning at each other. The cat discussion could and would be held later.  
  
"Our new flying teacher has asked me to relay the message that flying lessons will not take place until late October at the earliest, due to his delayed arrival at the school."  
  
Both Chloe and Headmaster Snape looked sourly put out at this tidbit of information.  
  
"Professor Granger has a few announcements now, and I expect complete attention and silence." Headmaster Snape sat down and sipped from his goblet.  
  
The silent tension lifted when Aunt Her-no, Professor Granger stood up and smiled nicely at them. "Welcome!" Chloe thought she looked terribly important in her nice blue robes with silver embroidery. Chloe then had to remind herself that her aunt was terribly important.  
  
"This year, in addition to the House cup competition and Inter-house Quidditch tournament, I'm very pleased to announce a new contest."  
  
Students glanced at one another with blank expressions and shrugs.  
  
"We are beginning an academic competition. Students with top grades in their year and house will receive special privileges and awards at the end of the year. Privileges will carry over to the next year and for as long as the student holds the excellent academic record."  
  
There was a burst of excited talking amongst the students, and Hermione waited politely for them to settle again.  
  
"Students in seventh year will receive their special privileges mid-term, so the contest will be fair for everyone. We're hoping this will bring more glory to our students who embrace academia and learning, rather than simply supporting our athle-."  
  
"LIONS FOR THE QUIDDITCH CUP!" shouted an extremely loud voice, somewhere down the line of the Gryffindor table.  
  
The entire hall erupted into laughter, and Chloe looked to see who had shouted. A plump girl with a merry face was grinning at them all.  
  
"Maybe you can actually win a game this year!" someone shouted from the area of the Slytherin table.  
  
The hall broke into louder laughter. Chloe didn't really find it all that funny.  
  
"Maybe we will!" shouted the girl again, she didn't look exactly serious and she was laughing along with everyone else.  
  
"Yeah, maybe!" shouted a Hufflepuff.  
  
Professor Granger didn't seem annoyed about being interrupted, and her mouth was curved into a small smile, but she cleared her throat and attention was back on her again.  
  
"With that behind us, shall we eat?"  
  
There was a collective chorus of "Yes!" and Chloe was very glad to see the tables fill with food. She was starving.  
  
"I told you everything would be okay," Meghan said shaking her head at Chloe. "I can't believe you were worried."  
  
"I was the only one worried?" Chloe said lightly. "Who was the one screaming?"  
  
Meghan made a "Hmph," noise and helped herself to the platter of fish that had made it around to them.  
  
Chloe bit into a roasted chicken leg and shrugged. Everything did feel all right, especially since Aidan Malfoy was sitting at the end of the table talking to no one and eating nothing. Chloe was certain that he would be re-Sorted. He simply just didn't belong.  
  
"If he keeps that up," Meghan said glancing down in Aidan's direction, not even bothering to lower her voice. "They won't have to re-Sort him. He'll just starve."  
  
"Meghan," Chloe whispered, when Aidan looked up briefly. "He heard you."  
  
"So? He tried to kill you." Meghan was obviously unconcerned with any amount of tact when it came to Aidan. Chloe thought briefly that it was probably Meghan that her father should have written to.  
  
Chloe shook her head, not wanting to talk about Aidan anymore. She had glanced over the enormous turkey in front of her and saw a boy sitting opposite them. This was a welcome sight because they were otherwise surrounded by Catherine and Mortimer and their friends. Luckily, they hadn't shown much interest in speaking to Chloe or Meghan yet. Chloe pushed the turkey platter with effort, since it had to be at the very least, thirty pounds. It clanked loudly against the potatoes dish and the boy looked up at the noise.  
  
"Hi!" said Chloe brightly, straining to see over the rest of the turkey. It was such a pain being short sometimes. The boy was short also, so she assumed he had the same problem.  
  
Meghan took notice of this, and helped Chloe shove the turkey further down the table.  
  
"Hi!" Chloe repeated, now that the boy was fully visible of both her and Meghan.  
  
"Hello," said the boy in an extremely soft voice.  
  
Chloe's first impression of him was very pleasant. He was the type of person that you could simply look at and know he was nice. Especially since she immediately thought he looked like the dormouse in her Alice in Wonderland book. She decided not to mention this just in case he might not appreciate it.  
  
Meghan, who was his complete polar opposite, shoved her hand across the table. "I'm Meghan."  
  
The boy did shake Meghan's hand, but not before he looked utterly startled at her loud demeanor. He meekly shook her hand and awkwardly took his back.  
  
"I'm Chloe." Chloe reckoned that foregoing the handshake was probably a better idea.  
  
The boy nodded, his feathery brown hair falling into his eyes at the movement.  
  
"You probably have a name too," Meghan suggested bluntly. She glanced at Chloe and then back at the boy.  
  
"Sorry," he swallowed. "I'm Finnigan. I didn't mean to be stupid but . I'm a bit-."  
  
"In awe?" Meghan finished. "It's really neat here, isn't it? Chloe and I have been told all these stories, but there's nothing like seeing it for yourself. We've been waiting for years!"  
  
"Well," Finnigan paused, looking flustered again. "I'm not sure how to say it."  
  
"Excited?" Chloe questioned. "I can't wait for classes to start. I'm not exactly sure which class I'll do well in. They all sound so nice."  
  
Finnigan shook his head. "I like everything, well, I think I like everything."  
  
Chloe and Meghan waited patiently.  
  
"I've never seen anything like this before," Finnigan finally got out.  
  
Chloe and Meghan glanced at each other. "Oh!" they said together, both realizing what he meant.  
  
"You're Muggle-born!" Meghan confirmed.  
  
"Oh, but I'm not," Finnigan said quickly. "My mum's a witch." Finnegan looked troubled and shook his head. "Sort of."  
  
Meghan had set down her fork and was staring at him. Chloe just felt plain mystified.  
  
"I'm afraid we don't know what you mean," Chloe apologized.  
  
"I think one day she just stopped being a witch," Finnigan said shyly pushing his fork around his plate. "I was just told about everything last month."  
  
"Just stopped!" Meghan was disbelieving. "You can't STOP being a witch."  
  
"Meggy," Chloe whispered. "Don't be rude!"  
  
"But it doesn't make sense," Meghan argued pointedly.  
  
"He said he didn't really understand it," Chloe replied. "He probably doesn't want to talk about it." She glanced up at Finnigan, "Well, you would like to talk about something else, wouldn't you?"  
  
Poor Finnigan looked lost again. "I guess so."  
  
"What do your parents do?" asked Meghan.  
  
"My mum is a receptionist," Finnigan said, his gray eyes on Meghan, almost waiting for her to explode about this bit of information also.  
  
"What about your dad?" Chloe asked pouring herself more pumpkin juice.  
  
"He's dead."  
  
"Oh," said Chloe and Meghan simultaneously again.  
  
"So sorry," Meghan said sympathetically.  
  
"I didn't really know him," he said shrugging the comment off.  
  
~*~  
  
Headmaster Severus Snape scowled at his Deputy Headmistress, still considering her suggestion.  
  
Hermione knew the scowl was due to him thinking about it, not that he was generally annoyed with her, so it didn't bother her in the least. "He expects us to do something," she persisted. "Look at him!"  
  
"Sorting hat decisions are not items for discussion. This is why students don't Sort themselves, Professor Granger!"  
  
The Headmaster's cheeks were drawn tightly, and he gazed at Aidan Malfoy, sitting stock still at the Gryffindor table. Hermione saw Severus' resolve waver, and she continued her argument. "He isn't happy! He deserves an explanation!"  
  
"And do you have one to give to him?" Snape retorted quickly in a sharp whisper.  
  
Hermione closed her mouth. Snape nodded and pushed his plate away with long bony fingers. "I didn't think so."  
  
"Perhaps you'd like to be the one to speak with Pansy Parkinson then." Hermione crossed her arms, and delivered this comment with just the right amount of unconcern.  
  
It worked of course. Severus Snape's eyes narrowed. "Whether we speak to the boy or not, there is going to be an upset. Pointing out the obvious isn't going to change my mind."  
  
"And Harry Potter, I'm sure he'll have a few choice words on the matter."  
  
Hermione might as well announced that she was going to blow up Hogwarts that evening. Snape plunked his goblet down angrily and rounded on her. "What does Potter have to do with all of this?"  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow. She had definitely become an expert in the field of convincing Snape to do things he normally wouldn't do. "I'm merely pointing out the obvious, Professor. You know what Harry has to do with all of this."  
  
"Where is Lupin?" Snape growled, pushing his chair away from the table.  
  
"At the end of the table," replied Hermione calmly. She stood up to follow him.  
  
"Get him. He's the head of Gryffindor house."  
  
~*~  
  
Remus watched Hermione Summon a small silver key on a white ribbon from her desk and unlock a cabinet on the wall.  
  
"I'm going to make some tea," she explained. "What can I g-"  
  
"I'll have nothing," Severus interrupted from his post in the corner behind her desk, Remus thought he looked like a black spider against the cream drapes or maybe a Rorschach ink splotch.  
  
"The usual, Remus?" Hermione asked, not seeming to have noticed Severus' annoyed tone.  
  
"Yes, thank you," Remus answered.  
  
"And for you Aidan?"  
  
Aidan, not bothering to lift his eyes from the photographs on Hermione's desk, shook his head.  
  
Hermione busied herself with three cups anyway. Remus wondered if the silence was suffocating anyone else. He glanced down at the photographs, wondering which ones Aidan found of interest.  
  
There were several of Laura, of course. Remus' personal favorite having to be of Laura as a toddler, running, with a pair of huge feet-unmistakably Ron's-chasing after her.  
  
Then there was a photo of Ron and Hermione's wedding day, of them cutting the cake. Remus grinned, there was another version floating around the Weasley family that Hermione threatened to burn the moment she laid her hands on it. Apparently the moment in time when she and Ron each tried to smear each other with cake was not something she wished to cherish forever. Ron had started it anyway, she had justified huffily.  
  
Remus then saw one of his favorite pictures, a casual family portrait that truly justified the events of a Christmas pageant that the children had played in. Mortimer looked completely like Percy, both of them wearing identical scowls, and the only difference being the enormous glittering harp Mortimer was unhappily toting. Two very furry things were scurrying all about the floor, and Remus knew it to be Madeline and Alexandria. Hunter was waving a crook madly at them, narrowly avoiding smacking Kyle in the face. A very pregnant Ginny was attempting to nonchalantly straighten Meghan's bent angel wing, smiling sideways at Harry. Chloe, in Harry's arms, had both her hands on her halo and she was tugging at it, trying to pull it off.  
  
"It's warm broth with some noodles added."  
  
Remus shook himself out of his reverie and watched Hermione hand Aidan a cup of broth. Aidan looked like he didn't appreciate being mothered. Hermione looked like she didn't care what Aidan thought of her broth, as long as he ate it.  
  
"I have paperwork to send out this evening," Snape said stepping from his place.  
  
Remus rolled his eyes. Severus dropped hints like a twelve-ton weight off the side of the Eiffel Tower. Just as subtle too.  
  
"There's something wrong with the Sorting Hat," Aidan said putting his untouched broth on Hermione's desk. "I've been placed in the wrong house."  
  
"There's nothing wrong with the Sorting Hat, Mr. Malfoy," Snape replied instantaneously, "you are a Gryffindor."  
  
"I would prefer to be re-Sorted," Aidan replied with pained politeness. Remus saw a small tinge of pink appear in his pale face. It was amazing he was remaining this calm.  
  
"I'm afraid we can't do that," Hermione said shaking her head. "We can't overturn the result."  
  
Aidan's hands curled into balls of frustration. "I will go to any house but Gryffindor." Remus half expected a five-year old version of Aidan to add that Snape was ugly, as he heard him say such words to Sirius in the past.  
  
"Watch your tone, or you won't be attending school here at all," Severus said in harsh voice.  
  
Remus waited for a typical biting Malfoy retort about family or Gryffindors, but none came. Curious indeed. Aidan held his tongue, but his eyes shot daggers towards Snape.  
  
"Do you have any questions?" Snape prompted in the silence.  
  
"No," responded Aidan.  
  
"Then Professor Lupin, will escort you to Gryffindor Tower. He is head of your house."  
  
Hermione, frowning, looked as though she had quite a lot to say.  
  
"Let's go then," Remus said to Aidan. "I'm sure you're very tired and want to get to bed. Good evening, Hermione, thank you for the tea."  
  
Aidan didn't reply, but followed him out of the office.  
  
~*~  
  
Author Note: Thank Ami for the chapter title. I couldn't think of a proper one, so I just used her silly suggestion. Why not? I have a million other chapter titles.I'm sure you could care less what the title was anyway.  
  
I'm very interested in your comments.and I do love reviews/speculations. However, the next person that suggests that Harry and Ginny have more babies.I will tar and feather you. Do you realize that I have to keep up with the babies after they have them? My characters earn the oxygen they take up. ( *Grins* With that in mind.do review..I love them.  
  
Thank you to Anne for betaing this! 


	4. It's enough to drive a kid to therapy

Chapter Four-"It's enough to drive a kid to therapy"  
  
Daddy and Mum,  
  
Guess what? I'm a Gryffindor! You were right, I didn't have to worry about it! Meghan's in Gryffindor too, but I knew that was going to happen. I bet Uncle Percy is relieved. I can't wait for classes to start tomorrow, and I don't know what order they're in yet because they haven't passed out any time tables. Hogwarts is really beautiful, and I don't think I'll ever forget the boat ride to the castle! The castle is so beautiful, like right out of a storybook.  
  
The girls in my dormitory seem pretty nice. One we met before we went to bed, she's the younger sister of Mortimer's friends. But, she's really not as boring as Mortimer's friends. Her name is Posy. The other two girls are nice too, one is named Calixta and the other is named Gloria. My bed is nearest to the window and I can see the courtyard from it. At least, I think it was a courtyard. I couldn't tell. It was quite dark when we got up to our dormitory. I'll look in the morning-that is if I ever get to sleep- I'm far too excited about everything. Meghan and I saw Nearly Headless Nick when we were following one of the Gryffindor prefects up to Gryffindor Tower. Gryffindor Tower, it just sounds so nice, doesn't it?!  
  
Doesn't the Fat Lady look just like Nanny Flossy? Or would it be Nanny Flossy looking like the Fat Lady? I think Nana Flossy was the second nanny that worked for Aunt Penny and Uncle Percy. You remember. because didn't you say Nanny Isabella quit because Aunt Penny was going to have Sebastian. (I never understood that. there was already 9 when Camea was born, so what difference would little Sebastian make?) Anyhow, Meghan went bonkers when she saw the Fat Lady because she thought it was Nanny Flossy coming back to whack her with her ruler! I can't say I blame her, Nanny Flossy wasn't exactly the nicest nanny that Uncle Percy could have hired. I remember that awful hat she wore, it looked just like the hat that the Wolf wears in Little Red Riding Hood when he's disguised as Grandmother.  
  
Something very odd happened today. Aidan Malfoy was sorted into Gryffindor. I just don't understand it. At first I was worried about it, but then, Meghan, Catherine, and Mortimer reminded me that the teachers would take care of it. I think it was a very odd mistake. He certainly doesn't want to stay in Gryffindor. He didn't look happy at all. Everything will be fixed by morning, I'm sure.  
  
Well, I'm off to bed. Tell Jamesy the train ride was exciting and I'm sending him a Chocolate Frog off the cart, since they're his favorites.  
  
Love you both,  
  
Chloe  
  
~*~  
  
Harry absentmindedly ran the heel of his hand across his cheek, a shadow of beard on his face. He set down the letter and sighed at the fireplace.  
  
"That's unexpected," he said to the flames. "She has no idea, you realize. She was confident you all were re-Sorting him in this letter."  
  
Hermione, more fully awake than anyone should be at six AM, shook her head. "I'm afraid we can't re-Sort him, Harry. It's never happened before, and we have to leave the decision as it was first made. Severus isn't bending in any way."  
  
Harry looked on the verge of a headache and reached to stroke Hedwig. "Yes, I understand, and I actually agree with your decisions. It's just very odd."  
  
"I'm going to let Severus handle all the dealings with the Malfoys. I can't even imagine what Pansy is going to do." Hermione rested her quill in her inkbottle. "You don't suppose Pansy is going to tell Draco, do you?"  
  
Harry snorted very loudly. "Hermione, I would place the deeds to my home, both my children, and a good number of other worldly possessions on that bet."  
  
"But. he doesn't need to know, he's in an institution." Hermione frowned at Harry. "I really thought they didn't talk to each other."  
  
"You aren't thinking like a Malfoy." Harry rested his elbows on the table and smiled wryly at her. "I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but let me tell you something. Pansy Parkinson will do anything, and I do mean anything, to get at Draco. After she gets over the initial shock of this-I give her two minutes, flat-she'll tromp on over to Raveneux and get Draco royally wound up enough for a strong sedation session. Her idea of a productive morning, really."  
  
"But doesn't she have reason to be upset as much as he does? It's her son as much as his."  
  
"Hermione, you aren't thinking about this like they will. Pansy isn't going to upset herself as long as she's got a finger to point at Draco. Convincing him that this is his fault is probably half the fun. Aidan is Malfoy blood. It's a sucker punch right to the family pride."  
  
"You don't seem too concerned about this," Hermione said haughtily. "What about Aidan?"  
  
Harry pushed his glasses up his nose and raised an eyebrow at her. "There's where you're wrong, actually. I could be far from concerned about Draco or Pansy, but Aidan is a completely different story. I don't have the slightest idea how they are going to treat him after this.."  
  
"They wouldn't disown him!" Hermione fretted, worry lines deepening on her face. "He's not at fault!"  
  
"I don't know. I wouldn't scratch it off your list, either."  
  
"What about Draco? I know you've been watching him closely for years now. How bad off is he?"  
  
"Are we talking about general sanity or downright evilness here?"  
  
"Harry," Hermione huffed in an impatient sigh, "please, I need to know this. I know you hate talking about it.but please!"  
  
"Draco's condition," Harry answered in an impersonal recitation of fact tone, "is easily controlled with potions and various medicinal drugs. He can function on a normal level, fully conscious of everything and everyone around him."  
  
"But if that's true, why on earth is he still in the institution?" Hermione said, puzzled.  
  
"I said can function on a normal level. Whether he chooses to or not is a completely different story. He uses his condition to manipulate people into how he'd like them to behave around him. He doesn't care to take his potions regularly, and if you ask me, which you did, I think he prefers the way he is. He's spiteful, chock full of treachery, and more than able to devise ways to be difficult."  
  
"I guess that proves that people have to be willing to make themselves better," Hermione said, shaking her head sadly.  
  
"They had thought he would just eventually degrade to a vegetable, but it obviously isn't looking that way."  
  
Hermione delicately jotted a few words down on parchment. "Harry, I'll keep in touch with you, even though I certainly think Chloe will keep you well informed with her side of things."  
  
"I'm merely going to hope things remain uneventful after this. It's very possible, "added Harry in a hopeful tone. "Chloe can be accepting in a lot of situations. She's pretty adapting. That is.when she wants to be."  
  
~*~  
  
Chloe guessed it wasn't going to be a normal first day of school the moment she and Meghan stepped from the portrait hole, talking happily about which classes they thought would be first. Chloe had awakened Meghan early, in hopes they could eat a quick breakfast and start exploring the grounds of the school.  
  
"I just know I'm going to hate History of Magic," Meghan said fastening her book satchel closed. "I'm horrible at remembering dates and silly goblin names. At least I won't have any trouble with the Ministers of Magic. Dad would be so thrilled with himself if he found out he had mentioned something useful."  
  
"I'm quite sure I'll like Charms, but I just don't know if I'll be any good at Transfiguration or not."  
  
"Transfiguration isn't all that difficult."  
  
Chloe and Meghan turned around quickly.  
  
"Uncle Re-Professor Lupin!" Meghan exclaimed. "Why are you sneaking around the school so early?"  
  
"I was waiting for you two, actually. That's hardly sneaking. I had a feeling you might want an early start, and it appears I was correct." He smiled at both of them knowingly.  
  
"Are you going to breakfast?" asked Chloe, happily noticing that her uncle, even in Professor form still smiled making small wrinkles around his eyes.  
  
"No, I'd like to see both of you in my office, if you don't mind."  
  
Meghan looked at him grumpily. "We're in trouble already? I promised my dad that he wouldn't get an owl home the first day.."  
  
"Relax." Professor Lupin gestured that they should follow him. "You've done nothing wrong. I simply need to have a little chat."  
  
"But little chats are never ever really a little chat," Chloe replied. "Everyone is okay, aren't they?"  
  
"Yes, they're all fine." Lupin pushed open his office door and ushered Chloe and Meghan in.  
  
Chloe liked his office very much. The chairs in front of his desk looked comfortably worn in, as if Uncle Remus made a habit to have visitors. There was a wire cage filled with white baby rabbits, which Chloe assumed were for one of his lessons today. There was a small nook which housed an assortment of non-matching mugs hanging on little hooks. Above the nook on shelves, was a small kettle, and clear canisters filled with lovely things to munch on. Chloe recognized a batch of her grandmum's cookies in one of them  
  
Professor Lupin loosened his tie and sat on the edge of his desk. "I'm here to talk with you about something you deserve to be forewarned about."  
  
Chloe decided the ivy by the window definitely looked like it could use a pep talk.  
  
"Forewarned about what?" Meghan asked curiously. She then brightened. "Wait! Are you going to have a pop quiz today?"  
  
"Meghan Weasley, you know better than to try that. I don't play favoritism."  
  
"It was worth a shot," Chloe grinned.  
  
Professor Lupin raised an eyebrow and picked up a rolled up parchment on his desk. "This is for you," he said handing it to Chloe. "Your father wrote it this morning and gave it to me through a fire since there was no way Hedwig would get back in time with his reply from your letter yesterday."  
  
Chloe frowned and took the parchment. "But.why is his reply so important?" She began unrolling the letter, glancing up at Professor Lupin with a degree of uncertainty.  
  
"Don't open that yet. I'm going to tell you two something, but you have to promise to remain calm, especially you, Meghan. Your outburst at the sorting ceremony could have ended in a letter home if the headmaster wasn't so busy afterward."  
  
"I feel very calm," Meghan said with a toss of her curls.  
  
"I don't," Chloe remarked with a frown. "I don't like the sound of this at all."  
  
"You aren't going to like the sound of it after I say it either," Professor Lupin said wisely. "I'm not going to treat you like children, so I expect you to take the news like young adults."  
  
Meghan stole a quick 'I-don't-like-the-sound-of-this-either' glance in Chloe's direction.  
  
"I realize you both expected Aidan Malfoy to be re-Sorted last night, but the simple fact is, he's going to remain in your house," Professor Lupin said evenly.  
  
Chloe shifted in her chair, knowing he was judging her reaction, and bit the inside of her cheek to contain the protest that immediately had welled up into her throat.  
  
"You mean." Meghan's blue eyes were wide with disbelief. "You mean.you're just going to let him into Gryffindor?"  
  
"Why not?" Professor Lupin asked nonchalantly,  
  
Chloe opened her mouth this time. "Well, he's a-" She stopped and slumped back in her chair, thinking things over. "He's.."  
  
"You had something to say, Chloe?"  
  
Meghan had gone from stupefied to stubborn. "I am not talking to him, and I refuse to work with him."  
  
"No one is forcing you to befriend him, work with him, or talk to him."  
  
Chloe couldn't believe he was so unconcerned about this. She halfway hoped he heard Meghan's muttered-"You've got that right."  
  
"All this means is that you will be in a bit closer proximity to each other. It wouldn't hurt anyone to treat him with the same amount of cordialness as your other fellow classmates."  
  
Cordialness? Chloe thought to herself irritably. Oh yes, have some more tea and cake, Aidan. Mind you don't stab me with the cake knife.  
  
"Now then," Professor Lupin pulled his tie back into its proper position and nodded at them. "I believe you should head down for breakfast. Good luck with your classes today."  
  
"You too," they muttered as they headed to the door. Chloe couldn't wait to get out of the office to talk this over with Meghan.  
  
"Chloe, take care to read that letter," Professor Lupin called. "Oh, and Meghan.."  
  
Meghan's red curls appeared in the doorframe and a second later, Chloe's green eyes and freckled nose.  
  
"Kindly keep the cheekiness to a minimum."  
  
Remus heaved a sigh when his office door shut with a loud thud, not quite a slam, but close enough. Catherine and Mortimer were a cakewalk to teach and even though he had never been any good at Divination, he predicted that Chloe and Meghan were going to be more of a three-ring circus  
  
~*~  
  
Most unlike Chloe, James Albus Potter did not like to be an early riser. He also didn't speak to anyone until he'd had his orange juice.  
  
"Morning, Scruff," Harry said briefly looking over the Daily Prophet. The small person cocooned tightly in his blanket did not reply, but merely flopped himself into a kitchen chair.  
  
Harry glanced at the wall clock. Ginny could sleep in a few minutes more, and then he'd wake her. Harry glanced at Chloe's empty chair, fully aware that it was usually she that prepared James' orange juice for him with the orange squeezer. As Harry did not know how to operate the orange squeezer properly, he conjured up a glass of juice acting as if he did it every day. Fortunately, James accepted it without a peep of protest.  
  
As soon as James took his first gulp, Ginny breezed into the room with smiles for both of them.  
  
"Good morning," she said kissing James' forehead. "You need to comb that wild lion mane of yours."  
  
James scowled and drank more juice.  
  
"And good morning," Ginny said kissing Harry on the cheek. "Your socks don't match. Your Aurors would probably enjoy that."  
  
Harry smiled sheepishly as he pulled off the offending blue sock. "You're up earlier than usual."  
  
"First day of school! I've got to make sure I've got everything ready." Ginny's face was alight with pleasure.  
  
"I want to go to school," James said suddenly finding his voice.  
  
Harry and Ginny almost sighed together. Here they went again..  
  
"James, I told you that you can start nursery school next year. You're not five yet," Ginny said cheerfully, putting a box of Keeper Krunchies in front of him.  
  
"Laura gets to go," James protested.  
  
"Laura is five. You'll be five in December, which means you'll get to go next year."  
  
"Chloe gets to go away to school!" James said, glancing at Chloe's spot with a pouty lower lip that had the potential to turn into tears.  
  
"But you get to go play with Camea and Sebastian and go on outings with Nanny Aggie," Harry reminded him. "Don't you like Uncle Percy's house?"  
  
"But Laura won't be there! Camea's a baby."  
  
"Camea is four, just like you!" Ginny pointed out.  
  
"She just turned four. I'm almos'five. And 'Bastian isn't any fun at all. He's really a baby."  
  
Ginny was quick on her feet in negotiations with children, her specialty. Harry didn't know how she did it half the time. "Well, since you're the big boy, why don't you teach them how to act like big kids. You could also help Nanny Aggie with lots of things.like keeping up with Sebastian when you go places."  
  
James thought this over. "Why?" he asked after a bit.  
  
"Because if Nanny Aggie gives us a really good report, like marks in school, Mum and Dad will take you to Uncle Fred and Uncle George's shop," Harry answered. Harry was all for bribery. It was his specialty. Ginny didn't approve of it most of the time, but it seemed an easy way out this morning.  
  
James' brown eyes looked over at Ginny for confirmation. She nodded her approval and then poured him a bowl of cereal. When James was properly busied with his breakfast, Harry cleared his throat.  
  
"Gin, we received an owl last night that might be of some interest to you.." He handed her Chloe's letter.  
  
Ginny smiled fondly at the first few paragraphs, but Harry could pinpoint the exact moment she read the words 'Aidan Malfoy' 'Sorted into' and 'Gryffindor.' Her face puckered, and she stared at Harry for some form of explanation.  
  
"I spoke with Hermione this morning. They aren't re-Sorting him." Giving Ginny the news straight was sometimes a tad dangerous, due to the Weasley temper. but he would take his chances with something like this.  
  
"Why was a M-a-l-f-o-y sorted into G-r-y-f-f-i-n-d-o-r!" Ginny said in the calmest lowered tone she could manage.  
  
James' head shot up. "Mummy! No spelling! That isn't fair."  
  
"Remus talked to C-h-l-o-e this morning. I also sent her a letter through him. There's next to nothing we can do about it. He's going to tell her before, rather than having her make the discovery in class, and remind her to behave."  
  
"Who are you talking about?" James demanded, his Quaffle marshmallows probably getting soggy. "Why can't I know, Daddy? Why?"  
  
"This is going to get ugly on the M-a-l-f-o-y side." Ginny put her fingers to her temples. "Harry, promise me you're going to make sure she's not in any d-a-n-g-e-r because of this."  
  
"Of course I promise you," Harry replied sincerely. "Don't even think twice about it."  
  
"Make sure who's not in any what?" James put in loudly. "Tell me! I'm almos'five!"  
  
"Nothing, Scruff." Harry waved his hand at the Keeper Krunchies box. "Accio!"  
  
The toy surprise burst out of it and landed next to James' cereal bowl. James was delighted; any sort of magic was enough to halt his questions.  
  
"At any rate," Harry said, kissing Ginny's cheek and talking above the rattle of cellophane that was James opening his toy. "I'm off to work. Do enjoy the first day of school."  
  
"I got a bloke!" James told Harry, triumphantly holding up a figurine. "Who is he?"  
  
The figurine was clothed in Puddlemere United robes as far as Harry could tell, as the cereal figurines were usually very cheap magic. When the figurine shook his miniature fist at him, Harry turned to Ginny and grinned knowingly.  
  
"You have one guess. Puddlemere United, well-known Keeper, has a slight tendency to be absolutely off his rocker."  
  
Ginny squinted at the figurine. "That isn't Oliver Wood, is it?"  
  
"The very same. I didn't think he played after that injury. Apparently I'm wrong. Silly of me to think that a little thing like human limitations would get Oliver down and out." Harry rumpled James' hair and knocked the figurine over in James' hand with a flick of his index finger. "Put him in the rain, Scruff. It's his favorite place to play. A big sloppy puddle."  
  
Ginny laughed loudly and tossed a pair of matching black socks she had transfigured. "Go to work, Harry!"  
  
~*~  
  
Chloe and Meghan had snatched a few pieces of fruit off the breakfast table, barely noticed by the other few people in the Great Hall as it was still quite early. A tall girl had given them parchments with their time table on it, but they had been too preoccupied with the current situation to look at them yet.  
  
"It's enough to drive a kid to therapy," Meghan grumbled, taking a bite out of her apple. "For a million years, what do we hear? 'That family is full of dark wizards. Don't associate with them ever.' 'The Malfoys were in with You-Know-Who.' 'The Malfoys simply hate Weasleys and Potters. They don't need a reason.'"  
  
"And now." Chloe said pacing on the lawn, braids swinging.  
  
"And now, it's time to treat them with cordialness," Meghan said wrinkling her nose in disgust at the word. "Just because stupid what's-his-name decided he wanted to come invade our territory."  
  
"I don't suppose anyone told my dad or Uncle Ron to be cordial when Aidan's father called Aunt Hermione a-" Chloe cut herself off, and then whispered the word into Meghan's ear.  
  
Meghan took in an angry intake of breath. "Did they smack him!?"  
  
"No. Plus, Uncle Ron's curse backfired on him."  
  
Meghan unrolled the class parchment and sighed heavily. "And we don't even get a chance to practice being cordial."  
  
"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, unrolling her own parchment to see. "Oh no!"  
  
Transfiguration was the very first class of the year. Taught by Professor R. J. Lupin  
  
"Today isn't our day," Meghan groaned. "He's probably going to be sore about me slamming his door this morning,"  
  
~*~  
  
Author Note: Thanks to Anne for Betaing! Also, I know kiddos start school when they are four in the UK, but I'm going to play the "Because I want them to start when they are five" card. I'm the author...we'll call it artistic licensing for plot reasons. Besides, this is the wizarding world. I can get away with it. (  
  
Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I love them!  
  
"Have you hugged your stuffed dragon today?" Join Chloe's Bookshelf!  
  
OR  
  
www.yahoogroups.com Search for "Chloe's Bookshelf" 


	5. Finnigan in the Lion's Den

Chapter Five- Finnigan in the Lion's Den  
  
Dear Daddy and Mum,  
  
Today was the first day of classes and everything went really well. I like everything okay, especially Herbology. Defense Against the Dark Arts might be interesting, but I'm not sure yet. Professor Lupin was the only professor that didn't hold a real class today. We spent the time with this 'Getting to know you' type thing, which was nice since it was our first class all together. Meghan and I don't know any of the kids in our year in our house, sometimes I wish Uncle Percy wouldn't make us have private tutors before Hogwarts. Do you suppose Jamesy can go to real school after he finishes nursery school with Mum next year?  
  
I guess Professor Lupin did the introduction thing because he also didn't want students to be frightened of him. There were some girls talking about him being a Werewolf just before class, and I suppose it's better for them to know the truth about everything before they get it all wrong. (Which they already had.) Even though it's no one's business, I think he did the best he could. Everyone really seems to like him. I knew he'd be a good teacher!  
  
Meghan and I made friends with this boy who sits at the desk next to us in Transfiguration. He's really nice, but he confuses us a lot. Meghan is extremely curious as to how his mother could "Stop being a witch." His name is Finnigan Bell, and none of the other students know him either. I think he's a tad overwhelmed by everything, and maybe he'll get it all sorted out in a week or so. I know I need a week or so to get everything sorted out, and I actually KNEW that Hogwarts existed. I don't think I have any sense of direction anymore.. I found the library three times today when I wasn't looking for it. Three times. Then when I was looking for it, I couldn't find it. I don't think that's very resourceful of it at all.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry grinned as he finished the rest of the letter. Cheery news was what he wanted. That was more like Chloe. There was not a single line in the letter talking about Aidan Malfoy, and he knew that meant Chloe was simply ignoring him.  
  
Her account of her first classes was quite amusing, and Harry took particular delight in the line that said, "If anyone had any brains at all, they'd make a map of this school." If she only knew, he thought.  
  
He most certainly would not be giving Chloe the Marauder's Map. Chloe and Meghan managed to get themselves into messes without assistance. There was no need to encourage what would inevitably turn out to be mayhem and pandemonium, much less, give them tools to start such things. Harry was all for practical jokes, but quite frankly, he was not all for the wrath of Hermione, who had promised to have his head on a platter if he so much as let any of his children see the map.  
  
"What do you think?" Ginny asked holding up a foam letter K. "Does this K make you want to learn your alphabet?"  
  
Harry rolled up the parchment. "I suppose so, even though I do know my alphabet.."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Say, did you ever teach a Finnigan Bell?" Harry asked furrowing his brow, hoping to jumpstart his memory. "Doesn't the name sound familiar?"  
  
Ginny paused in her cutting. "Hmm. I don't think so.but yes, Finnigan Bell does sound very familiar."  
  
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thud.  
  
Ginny lifted her eyebrows, and she and Harry looked at each other. Several loud thumps and a period of silence when one has small children is never a welcomed thing.  
  
Sure enough, a long mournful wail followed. Harry and Ginny got up from their spots on the floor and hurried to the foyer.  
  
"I hope that wasn't a house-elf in a bag going down the stairs," Harry muttered.  
  
"You know James wouldn't do that!" Ginny sounded horrified, and she quickened her pace.  
  
"Well, that's what it sounded it like," Harry said truthfully.  
  
Ginny was about to ask him how would he know, when they saw a heap of clothes at the bottom of the stair landing. A wailing heap of clothes.  
  
"Oh no," Ginny said running to the clothes and frantically pulling them away. Harry dodged a shoe she threw over her shoulder. "James, James, are you all right?"  
  
James unearthed himself from the pile and scooted into Ginny's lap. "I was just playing dress-up!" he said clinging to her as she checked him for bumps and bruises and all his limbs.  
  
Harry now took notice of James' attire. The boy had to be wearing at least five sets of robes at once.plus a winter cloak, gloves, scarf, and hat. It seemed that he had been trying to carry the rest of his clothes downstairs when he'd tripped on some of them.  
  
"The idea," Harry said patiently, "is to dress up as one thing at a time."  
  
Ginny plucked a sock hanging from the railing. "You know the rules about the stairs, James Albus. You could have been hurt."  
  
"Chloe's home!" James proclaimed happily, obviously getting over his tumble.  
  
Harry looked warily at the pile of clothes. Surely not..  
  
"What have we told you about tel-"  
  
"It's not a falsehood!" James interrupted Ginny. "She's right there by Daddy! Makin' faces at him too."  
  
That did sound like something Chloe would do, but Harry was positive there was no one standing by him. "James," he began.  
  
But Ginny suddenly looked enlightened and hushed Harry. "Why, there she is! Isn't she hungry for supper, James?"  
  
James thought this over and unwrapped his scarf. "No. But she says she supposes she could do with some cherry ice cream. With jimmies. Extra ones."  
  
"Chloe doesn't like cherry ice cream," Harry said, crossing his arms.  
  
"Today she does!" James said smiling at him happily. "She told me."  
  
Harry was about to protest this obvious attempt at getting an extra dessert, but Ginny appeared to want to humor James. "Okay, darling. You and Chloe go sit in the kitchen, and Mummy will be right there to get the ice cream."  
  
"Yay!" James said scampering off, tripping on the corner of one of his robes and then running off again.  
  
"Oh, come on," Harry said when James was out of earshot. "That was the biggest con ever, and you just went along with it."  
  
Ginny was collecting articles of clothing on the steps. "No. You're going to go along with it too. It's good for him."  
  
"This ought to be a fascinating explanation of how trickery is good for him.."  
  
"He's not trying to trick us," Ginny said, folding robes and stacking them in Harry's arms. "He's made an imaginary friend. It's perfectly normal for children his age. His way of dealing with Chloe going away is just to imagine that she never went away. This is a good thing."  
  
"Don't tell me we have to pretend Chloe is really there," Harry sighed. "I just know I'm going to sit on her.."  
  
"We're going to pretend as long as James pretends she's there. He'll tire of it eventually. But, you know.there is a way to speed up the process."  
  
"I'm all ears," Harry said.  
  
"We get him a sort of replacement friend."  
  
Harry snorted with laughter. "Does this mean we're going to have another baby? I'm not seeing how that's speedy."  
  
"Not a baby, Harry," Ginny bopped him playfully on the back of the head. "A companion. Something little boys simply adore."  
  
"Dirt?" Harry guessed. "No, wait.."  
  
"Would you cut it out?" Ginny laughed. "I'm talking about a four legged friend."  
  
"Oh no!" Harry protested loudly. "No, no, and no!"  
  
"Harry! There's nothing wrong with owning a small puppy."  
  
"No! Wizards don't even have dogs. Why can't we get James a toad or something non-furry, non-biting, and non-stupid."  
  
"Harry, you are prejudiced against dogs! Just because you don't like them doesn't mean that James wouldn't love a puppy."  
  
"Chloe didn't get one! She doesn't like dogs either!"  
  
"James isn't Chloe. And if I remember correctly, Chloe got a pony. You had stables built for that pony and other horses! A dog doesn't need a stable."  
  
"Horses are useful! They're very noble creatures, and Chloe learned a lot of responsibility taking care of hers. Not every child knows how to ride a horse.."  
  
"Dogs are noble! You know James is scared of the horses right now! He's not old enough to enjoy them!"  
  
"Ginny, I despise dogs. They're slobbery yappy little scraps of fur. I still can't even put a finger on why you want a dog. Aren't you a witch? I've never heard of any wizarding family having a dog."  
  
"I bet the Dursleys had a dog, and it bit you," Ginny guessed with a smirk. "You're completely biased because of them."  
  
"They most certainly did not," Harry retorted. "You just want to get a dog because you never had one. You don't need a dog. We have Sirius."  
  
"Then it was your aunt!" Ginny crowed. "Your Aunt Marge!"  
  
Harry took a deep impatient breath and let it out in a sigh. "That has nothing to do with me disliking dogs. And besides she's not my AUNT!"  
  
"Ah ha!" Ginny pointed a finger at him. "I knew it! All I had to do was dig deep enough! That's why you hate dogs! Just wait until I tell Sirius!"  
  
"The answer is still no!"  
  
"Fine," Ginny said, still looking at him with a triumphant, smug look. "We'll see how long it takes you to come around."  
  
"We're going to be pretending Chloe is there for awhile," Harry concluded stubbornly. He climbed the stairs to James' room to put away the clothes, sour that Ginny had worked out that one of his relatives had had dogs.  
  
"Better stock up on the ice cream," Ginny smiled, heading for the kitchen.  
  
~*~  
  
Chloe deposited her book satchel on one of the front double desks. Meghan groaned. "The front, Chlo?"  
  
Chloe nodded, took Meghan's bag and set it next to hers.  
  
Calixta and Posy were already seated in the row behind them. At least, Chloe thought it was Calixta. She had been so distracted last night, that she barely remembered the girls in her dormitory. She was almost positive that it was Calixta, though, since she vaguely remembered Calixta having the bed across from hers.  
  
"Oh, I hope Professor Lupin is nice," Posy said nibbling her thumbnail nervously. "He's that gray haired man that's the head of our house, right? My dumb brothers didn't tell me anything useful about the teachers."  
  
The door banged open before any of the girls could reply, and three boys walked in, peering around keenly, shoelaces flapping.  
  
"'Lo," said the biggest boy on the way to the seats furthest in the back.  
  
The girls nodded as they past by and resumed their conversation.  
  
"My cousin told me a bit about him," Calixta said, pushing her coal black hair away from her face. She had the exact hair that Chloe had wished she had millions of times, rather than boring brown. "Gil says he only taught for one year, and left right before he had to go to Hogwarts and have him. Know why?"  
  
Posy shook her head, and Meghan and Chloe looked at one another uneasily.  
  
Calixta leaned in to share her knowledge in just above a low whisper. "He's a Werewolf."  
  
Posy sat back in surprise. "No! He is? He looks so.."  
  
"Normal," Chloe finished. She was biting her tongue to withhold the fact that the Professor was her uncle and there was absolutely nothing wrong with him. Divulging information of her relation to Professor Lupin was definitely not a good idea. She and Meghan were very touchy with information regarding family matters and were quite good at keeping their ties to certain family members a secret for a while.  
  
"Well, he's human when he wants to be," Calixta shrugged. "So of course he looks normal. My brother told me that Werewolves can transform at will and it sometimes happens whenever they get really mad.."  
  
"Well, that isn't true."  
  
"How do you know, Meghan?" Calixta was annoyed at being interrupted and her validity questioned.  
  
"She knows, because," Chloe spoke up before Meghan could tell Calixta exactly why she knew and how much she did not appreciate her family members insulted thank-you-very-much, "because, well, she just does."  
  
"Hmph," said Calixta, casting a suspicious eye on Chloe and Meghan.  
  
The door creaked open and the last Gryffindor first year girl, Gloria, poked her head in. Posy waved at her, and Gloria hurried into the room, taking a seat with one of the three boys.  
  
"We're missing two," Posy said, after a quick head count. "Does anyone know their names?"  
  
"Finnigan," Chloe said immediately. "Finnigan Bell."  
  
"And that blonde boy. The one who ate by himself last night," Posy remembered. "I've never met him before. He might be Muggle-born. Do either of you know him?"  
  
With Posy's words, Chloe lit upon a solution so simple, she wondered why she hadn't thought of it until now. "Never heard of him in my life," she proclaimed with a meaningful glance in Meghan's direction.  
  
Yes, Chloe thought. That was good. They could simply pretend nothing had happened. Of course no one knew who he was. The Malfoys hadn't been in the news for six years. Why would anyone remember anything in the news when they had been five-years old? Aidan had probably attended a private school or had a tutor.  
  
Meghan's jaw had dropped but she corrected the problem before Calixta and Posy looked her way.  
  
And speaking of.  
  
Aidan Malfoy walked-no-slinked quietly into the room, just like a prowling cat. Chloe wouldn't have noticed him enter if she hadn't been waiting for him to enter the classroom. Then much to Chloe's horror, he seated himself in the other double desk at the front of the room and then stared at her, as if waiting for her to voice some sort of objection.  
  
Chloe snapped her head in the other direction indignantly after glaring right back at him.  
  
"Morning!" Posy said, completely oblivious to the situation. Chloe half expected Aidan to pounce on her for addressing him. But he simply ignored Posy and opened his book satchel.  
  
Calixta and Posy shrugged at each other.  
  
Panting, Finnigan Bell hauled himself into the room, looking around for an empty seat. He spotted Meghan and Chloe and then the empty seat next to Aidan.  
  
Oh no. Chloe wanted to bury her head in her arms in sorrow for poor Finnigan. Anywhere but there. Poor, nice quiet Finnigan they had just only met, stumbling into the lion's den. Aidan would corrupt him.  
  
"This taken?" Finnigan asked politely.  
  
Aidan, who had been taking items out of his bag and setting them on his desk--Chloe had been waiting for the knife to appear--stopped and looked Finnigan over.  
  
"No," he said flatly.  
  
Finnigan smiled. "Thanks!" As he sat down, he nearly knocked over Aidan's inkwell, but he righted it just in time and patted the top of it nervously.  
  
"Finnigan Bell," he said, looking at Aidan hopefully behind the light brown wisps of fringe over his eyes. Apparently finding a burst of bravery somewhere, he also offered his hand for Aidan to shake. Trouble was, his hand was somewhere under quite a bit of robe.  
  
"Aidan."  
  
That was all Aidan said to Finnigan, and he turned away from him.  
  
Bright embarrassed spots of color appeared on Finnigan's cheeks. "'Lo again," he said hopefully to Meghan and Chloe.  
  
Chloe grinned at him. All was not lost.  
  
~*~  
  
After Transfiguration, the Gryffindors seemed considerably more comfortable around each other. Well, everyone except Aidan Malfoy. He hadn't said anything interesting at all when Professor Lupin had called on him to tell a bit about himself and when anyone else tried to talk to him, he simply either ignored them or busied himself with something else.  
  
The students had realized who Meghan was when Professor Lupin called the roll. 'Weasley' appeared in the newspaper far too often for them not to recognize it. Apparently they hadn't been paying much attention to the names at the sorting. They were mildly impressed that her father was Minister of Magic and yet even more impressed that Meghan seemed annoyed about it. They had yet to put two and two together with the Potter in Chloe's name. Chloe suspected it had something to do with Potter being a more popular name than Weasley and the fact that her dad and mum were quite vicious when it came to any news about her and James.  
  
"He's a bit odd, that one," Kincaid Gallinatti commented as they all headed out to the greenhouses. He nodded towards Aidan, walking briskly ahead of everyone.  
  
Kincaid's friends, Harry Carrington and Alexander Haywood both nodded, glancing at Aidan.  
  
Chloe smiled. This was working out better than she could have ever imagined. Why, she didn't have to do anything. Aidan was the one separating himself from everyone. So far, she thought everyone else in her house was pretty nice. Kincaid and Alexander were very funny, and they only directed their teasing at Harry Carrington, the clumsy pal of their group. Harry Carrington seemed extremely trusting, but a bit of a goof.  
  
When Professor Lupin had asked them to tell something interesting about themselves, Harry Carrington had proudly announced he was named after Harry Potter.  
  
Chloe had to sharply elbow Meghan in the ribs when her giggles became quite loud. They weren't found out, simply by the good graces of Kincaid. Kincaid had guffawed and poked chubby Harry Carrington in the shoulder. "Don't you see the resemblance?"  
  
"He's got a scar, even," Alexander had added merrily. "Right on his bum when he fell on a seashell in the ocean. Want to show everyone, Har-"  
  
"Thank you, that'll be quite enough, boys," Professor Lupin had interrupted hastily.  
  
"So that was your house my family and I toured last Christmas." Calixta was eagerly pumping Meghan for information, hoping for a look at the glamorous life she supposed Meghan had.  
  
Meghan rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Dad insists on letting tour groups tromp through the house. We're not allowed to go down into that part of the house during the holidays. He doesn't want us making faces at the people taking pictures."  
  
Chloe wanted to add that doing such a thing was great fun, and she and Meghan had been punished repeatedly for it. Especially when they had the idea to dress up baby Camea as a house-elf. Uncle Percy had to pay that tourist off for the film and promise that his Hazardous Apparating ticket would be taken off his record. Meghan and Chloe had spent a great deal of time polishing doorknobs over that one and each had to write an essay about the consequences of bad behavior and how it reflected on the entire family.  
  
Finnigan Bell had begun to warm up to Chloe and Meghan, and he had asked Chloe if there really was a Minister of Magic. Chloe doubted he really realized what her Uncle did, but he'd work it out someday. Calixta could probably explain it with more gusto anyway.  
  
"I wonder which greenhouse we're supposed to go to," Chloe said squinting at the five greenhouses glinting in the early morning sun.  
  
"Is that.that.a bat?" Gloria Applewhite spoke up uncertainly and pointed.  
  
"In the middle of the morning?"  
  
A gray thing was swooping around the entrance to one of the greenhouses, diving precariously close the ground.  
  
"That is one messed up bat," Meghan said.  
  
"It's not a bat," Alexander said. "Too big."  
  
Everyone ducked and shouted as the thing flew by right on a collision course with their heads.  
  
"Ack!" Meghan shouted, crouched on the grass. "Kill that thing!"  
  
"It's coming back around," Kincaid called, pulling his thick Transfiguration book from his bag. "I'll get whatever it is."  
  
Kincaid wasn't true to his word, because he shouted and took cover with everyone else again.  
  
It looped around again, and Calixta squealed and dug her nails into Posy's arm. Chloe pulled out her wand, wondering which of the very few spells she knew would work. She definitely didn't want to use a decorating charm on it, and certainly not a mixing charm..  
  
"It's going to dive bomb!" Harry Carrington shouted.  
  
The gray thing did dive sharply, and they all covered their heads, waiting for someone to give a shout of pain. Chloe gasped. "It's on Finnigan!" she exclaimed.  
  
Sure enough, Finnigan was quivering from head to toe, looking eye to eye with a gray parrot that was bobbing around on his shoulder.  
  
Kincaid and Alexander raised their books at Finnigan. "Just hold still, Finnigan," Alexander was saying. "This will only hurt awhile.."  
  
Finnigan gulped and he jumped along with everyone else when the parrot made a very unnatural bang sound.  
  
"It's going to peck his eyes out," Harry Carrington predicted. "Close your eyes, Finnigan."  
  
"Quit shaking," Kincaid ordered. "We're not aiming for you."  
  
"Now wait a minute," Chloe protested. "I don't think you should smack it."  
  
"Aw, you wouldn't be saying that if it was on you," Alexander said, rolling his eyes at Chloe.  
  
"Gentleman, if you smack my parrot, I'll feed you to my Vermicious Ficus."  
  
Kincaid and Alexander dropped their books and slowly turned to face the Herbology professor along with the rest of the class.  
  
A very short witch with long straight gray hair that reached almost to her waist cleared her throat and held her arm out for the parrot to land on. Chloe studied the wrinkled, but rosy face, under a straw Muggle garden hat, tied with red, yellow, and turquoise-blue ribbon.  
  
"Good morning," she said chucking the bird fondly under his beak. The bird gave low guttural sounds of pleasure. "I see Whizbang has already introduced himself. I'm sure he just wanted to play a bit. No harm done. I'm Professor Higginbotham, your Herbology teacher.  
  
"Follow me into the greenhouse so I can have a good look at you," she ordered.  
  
"Whizbang?" Posy whispered curiously. "What sort of a name is that?"  
  
The professor looked at Posy over her shoulder. "Whizbang has a rather clever ability to mimic sounds. He prefers them over speech."  
  
Whizbang puffed his feathered breast out and made a perfect imitation of a zipper sound.  
  
"Show off," Meghan muttered.  
  
"Can't he talk?"  
  
"He talks, but he's very selective in what he mimics," Professor Higginbotham answered.  
  
Chloe noticed the professor looked rather like a parrot herself. Her extremely busy robes looked just like the colors on a parrot or myna bird and.amusingly.she took mincing little steps like a bird.  
  
The greenhouse door creaked loudly when she tugged on it, and Whizbang mimicked the creaking as the students filed into the room, sounding like a tiresome haunted house.  
  
"Whoa," Meghan murmured, stepping into the greenhouse and turning round and round.  
  
Chloe, who was too busy gaping to comment, nodded.  
  
It was the closest thing anyone could get to an enclosed rainforest. The air was thick and dewy-almost hard to breathe in- and the place smelled of warm turned earth and a mixture of so many tropical flowers that a person couldn't even begin to sort out which one exactly she was smelling.  
  
Chloe knew her father had the arboretum in Havenwood.but that was nothing compared to this. In fact, it was completely opposite. While the arboretum at Havenwood was very regularly trimmed and cropped with flowers and trees in neat rows and beds, this.this was downright wild. Plants were invading the path going through the greenhouse and vines were strung every which way. Chloe thought it was gorgeous. She also spotted at least four parrots swooping through the trees, pecking and tearing at fruit. Whizbang bobbed on the professor's shoulder, acting as if he was responsible for all of it.  
  
"Line up then, line up, let me have a good look at you. Yes, even you, the boy that hasn't had any sun. kindly join the crowd."  
  
Chloe glanced over and noticed that Professor Higginbotham was talking about Aidan.  
  
"Line up! Line up!" Whizbang repeated.  
  
"Hush," Professor Higginbotham chided. "This is my class, you nosy bird. Let me see now.."  
  
She unrolled her parchment and peered at the students, going down the line, pausing every so often in front of someone to write something. The students swallowed, as they could hear her quill scratching on the parchment.  
  
"And you," Professor Higginbotham said stopping in front of Kincaid and leaning so their eyes were inches apart. The scene would have been comical if Kincaid hadn't looked borderline petrified. "You simply have to be Kincaid Gallinatti. I never saw a boy who looked more like a Kincaid in my entire life. Hear me now, sir, you smack my birds, you'll not like what I'll do to you in retaliation. Clear?"  
  
"Clear," Kincaid replied quickly.  
  
Professor Higginbotham smiled brightly at him and bopped him on the top of the head with her wand. "Wonderful."  
  
Chloe watched a pink flamingo appear around the corner of the path and make tracks toward them. A flamingo! How was a flamingo a magical bird? Did flamingos bite?  
  
Professor Higginbotham finished her roll and started tossing garden gloves to all of them. She didn't seem upset about the bird incident anymore but very pleased with the looks of her new students. Chloe was sure she'd be an easy teacher.  
  
The flamingo was now heading towards Aidan Malfoy. Chloe now hoped flamingos bit. Maybe this particular breed of flamingo was a vicious carnivore. Aidan had noticed it, and was watching it out of the corner of his eye, but still paying attention to Professor Higginbotham's opening lecture on pruning magical plants.  
  
Chloe found it very fascinating, but the sideshow was becoming increasingly entertaining. The flamingo had begun nipping at Aidan's robes, and he kept trying to shoo the bird away without taking his attention from Professor Higginbotham. Chloe held in her giggles when the flamingo managed to latch on to the sleeve of Aidan's robes and yank viciously. She couldn't believe she was the only one who had noticed. Then again, Aidan had been standing quite a bit away from everyone else.  
  
"And while Magical Plants can often be quite temperamental about pruning, it is often a necessary commodity to further and encourage their growth. They might go through a short period of moodiness, but they'll recover in a few days to maybe a week's time."  
  
Aidan was now trying to keep the enormous bird from climbing on him. Chloe wondered why he just didn't call to the Professor for help.  
  
"Also, many pl-Pinkerton! Get off that boy immediately!"  
  
Professor Higginbotham strode over to Aidan, her multi-color robes flapping and pried the flamingo off of him. The rest of the Gryffindors turned to see what the ruckus was and roared with laughter at the sight of one of their classmates wearing a flamingo.  
  
"Quiet down, quiet down," Professor Higginbotham called over the laughter. "This brings me to my next point."  
  
They eventually quieted, and Aidan didn't even so much crack a smile to laugh at himself or acknowledge that he didn't mind them laughing at him.  
  
"Yes, my greenhouses have hundreds of birds in them.and many don't mind a bit of, ah, interaction, with students, so the best course of action is to bring the situation to my attention. I know how to handle every bird."  
  
Chloe then noticed she was holding Pinkerton upside-down by his feet. He was hanging quite placidly, swaying slightly. Unfortunately, Chloe had recently been reading Alice in Wonderland to James and she was so reminded of the Red Queen playing croquet with the Dodo birds that she burst into loud laughter in the silence.  
  
Chloe put her hand over her mouth and turned very red. It was a great relief to see that Professor Higgenbotham didn't mind her laughter after all.  
  
~*~  
  
Author Note: Thanks to Anne for betaing this. Thanks to my history teacher last semester who lectured on the Pinkertons which gave me inspiration for the flamingo.  
  
The order of scenes might be a little confusing here, but everything we see Chloe in is what she wrote to Harry. Harry's PoV takes place after he receives the letter, so he's reading that in the evening.  
  
Disclaim: Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland still isn't mind. Bother. Title is inspired by biblical reference to 'Daniel in the Lion's Den'  
  
Thank you for all the lovely reviews! Hope your enjoying it so far! I love feedback!  
  
Caitlyn 


	6. The cat's out of the bag

Chapter Six — The Cat's Out of the Bag 

_Dear Paddy,_

_Sorry I didn't write you a letter when I got here, I reckoned Mum and Dad would tell you that I was sorted into Gryffindor._

_Things are okay here, Meghan and I haven't caused any trouble yet and Catherine and Mortimer really don't pay much attention to us. Meghan and I do have another friend though, (a close friend, I mean. The other Gryffindors are nice, except one, but I'll get into that in a minute.) We're friends with Finnigan Bell. He's very funny really, but really quiet. He's an only child, so I don't think he minds Meghan and me talking so much._

_I would just like to say that Professor Granger is extremely pushy about her teaching.(I think pushy is the nicest word I can find.) Do you know how much homework she's given us for the first day we had her? An essay **and **multiple-choice questions. On-the-first-day!!! You'll never guess what else, either. SHE was the one who gave away who my dad was. Can you believe it? I am so mad at her. No…I'm not mad at her, I'm…enamored with her. Wait. That's not the right word, that's the opposite isn't it? I'm wrathful. Yes. Wrathful! I'm so wrathful that I'm just going to show her in my potions essay. She's never going to believe the essay she's going to get. She'll be enamored with it. You just wait, Paddy, I bet she writes you a letter about my essay._

_Oh yes, and she seems to LIKE Aidan Malfoy. It's not bad enough that they let him stay in Gryffindor. It's not bad enough that he doesn't say a word to anyone in Gryffindor. It's not bad enough that he just stares and glares at us like he wants to kill us. It's not bad enough that she thinks he's an ABSOLUTE GENIUS. And what does she do to me? She insults me! Paddy, I am downright wrathful. You're the only one who would even understand. Mum and Daddy would just tell me to keep my temper in check and to stop exaggerating. I'm not letting that boy anywhere near the academic prize for Gryffindor. He doesn't deserve to represent Gryffindor in any WAY. It would be delectation. I'm not sure that's the right word, but I'm practicing enormous words for my potions essay. It's so much easier to say them than write them._

_I'm changing the subject. If I'm wrathful much longer, some of it might leap onto my potions essay and then that really wouldn't be any good at all. Meghan and I were a bit in the dark about Finn's family, but he finally explained it to us today. Did you know that his family…_

~*~ 

Ron and Laura were usually on their own the first week of Hogwarts term. Hermione often had so much work to do, that she worked late into the night and slept in her bedroom at the school. Typically, she was home before dinner and spent evenings and early mornings with them. They also had her completely to themselves on the weekend. 

Ron could cook…just not exactly up to par with Hermione. She enjoyed cooking and he most certainly didn't. Ron also had quite a bit of trouble cooking under the scrutiny of a very picky five-year old. 

The noodles were a bit soggy, but they'd do. Ron cheerfully plunked a plate down onto Laura's placemat. She had set the table, insisting that everything _matched._ Ron had to search for two particular placemats that Laura had requested and the matching potholders. 

"There we are. I made a treat tonight." 

Just as Ron sat down with his own plate, Laura lifted her gaze from her meal and sighed heavily. "Mummy says that fish fingers aren't of adequate nutritional value." 

Ron forced a smile and calmly reminded himself that his beautiful, strawberry blonde five-year old could not yet spell 'adequate nutritional value.' 

"Well, Mummy's not here," Ron said, lifting his milk glass towards her. "Cheers!" 

Laura, who was never swayed easily (Ron swore everyday that this was a _Granger_ trait), wrinkled her nose. "My noodles are soggy too." 

"Eat," Ron replied, extremely glad that he was the big person. If all else failed, he could resort to "Because I said so, that's why." Hermione really frowned upon that one, but as he had just commented to Laura, Mummy wasn't home. 

Laura ate and after awhile she asked, "Can I play with James soon? I haven't played with him in forever, Daddy, and he probably wants to hear about nursery school." 

Ron nodded. "Yes, I suppose you could just go home with Aunt Ginny a day this week." 

Laura smiled at him coyly. (Ron swore everyday that this was an adorable _Weasley_ trait.) "Can I have some more fish fingers, Daddy?" 

Ron was flattered. "I thought they weren't adequate nutritional value," he teased. 

"But they taste good. Mummy really won't mind if she doesn't know…." 

Ron put more fish fingers on her plate immediately and laughed. "Yes, live a little, Laura. Here's a word of advice, things of adequate nutritional value usually taste like dirt." 

Laura's eyes brightened. "Daddy?" 

"Yes?" 

"I really don't like rice cakes for a snack." 

"Who would?" Ron made a horrible face. "Why don't you say something then?" 

"I just put them in my collection." 

"_Collection?_" Ron's eyes widened. "Laura Aileen, what collection?" 

"Under the bed in the guest bedroom. James and I use them all the time. We like to see what we can do with them…" 

"And what exactly do you do with old rice cakes?" 

"They float really well," Laura began. "Or you can put two on the ends of a stick and it makes wheels. And, did you know what else?" 

"What?" Ron had almost decided he wanted this to be something for Hermione to discover on her own one day. Yes. This was definitely something for her to stop. She was the one, after all, who gave Laura those revolting things. Served her bloody right. Laura was confiding in him anyway. He didn't suppose he wanted to give away her secret and get her in trouble for something he'd probably do himself. 

"The garden gnomes really love them, Daddy. James and I tried to explain that they were for eating, but they won't eat them either…so they worked out that they could _build_ things with them." 

Ron stared at her in disbelief. "Build things?" He had visions of a garden gnome condominium made out of sugar-free rice cakes. 

Laura nodded vigorously. "Like huts, little boats, and all sorts of things. They last about a month, except when it rains. But that's why James and I give them just enough." 

"You just give them rice cakes?" 

Laura knitted her eyebrows and gave Ron a look that said she clearly thought he was clueless. "_Not for free._ They trade us. Like for berries, sometimes even apples. It was my idea. James just wanted to watch them build the things." 

Ron took a bite of soggy noodle. Great. His five-year old was already a shrewd businesswoman profiting from the underlings in the garden. He had _told_ Hermione that teaching her to read at age three was a _really stupid idea_. Maybe by the time she was six, Laura could start charging them property taxes and natural resource fees. 

"Would you like to see them?" Laura offered politely. "They're expecting a delivery tonight or tomorrow." 

_Of course she had a schedule._ Ron merely told her yes. He knew he couldn't miss this. She might be ruthless, but at least she was darn cute about it. 

~*~ 

Meghan was having issues with her kitten. 

"I told you to stay out of my bag!" Meghan exclaimed, pulling Monster for the third time out of her school bag. "You can't go to class with us!" 

Chloe waited patiently in the common room for Meghan to go back up to their room and deposit Monster in the basket by her bed. At this rate, they would never get breakfast. 

"What's Meghan doing?" Finnigan asked approaching Chloe. 

"Putting her kitten back in the dormitory. She keeps on sneaking out." 

"Where's everyone else?" 

"Down for breakfast already. Why are you so late?" 

Finnigan sighed. "I can't get my robes to fit right. Mum just sent them by post to be altered with my measurements. They didn't do mine right." 

Chloe sympathized. Finnigan's robes were entirely too long for him and she couldn't see his hands or his shoes. "Why didn't your mum just take you to Diagon Alley?" 

"She told me that she didn't have any time and that it was much safer for us to send them out." 

"_Safer_?" 

"Yes, don't your parents think it's dangerous?" Finnigan seemed completely convinced. "My mum said that—" 

"I've been lots of times," Chloe interrupted. "My parents do a lot of shopping there and so do Meghan's parents." 

"Oh," Finnigan shrugged. "What do your parents do? Meghan's dad is the Minister of Magic, but you didn't say anything about your parents." 

Chloe grinned. "My dad's just an Auror and my mum owns a nursery school. That's where Meg and I met." 

"What's an Auror?" 

"It's someone who catches bad wizards," Chloe explained. 

"No wonder they aren't scared of going down Diagon Alley," Finnigan commented. "Sounds like he's a policeman." 

"Sort of," Chloe said truthfully. There was yet another puzzle to Finnigan. Why did his mum not shop in Diagon Alley? 

"_Finally,_" Meghan groaned, coming down the stairs. "That cat is seriously sneaky. I feel like I'm being stalked!" 

"She stayed in her basket?" Chloe asked. 

Meghan blew her hair out of her face in frustration. "Probably not, but I think she got lonesome yesterday and doesn't want to stay in the dormitory all by herself." 

"Maybe Professor Granger has some catnip in her potion stores," Chloe suggested. 

"Maybe Calixta can get a pet bird," Meghan grinned. 

"Would you _stop_ being mad at her?" Chloe laughed. 

"She's the one mad at me!" Meghan exclaimed. "I can't help my family isn't as exciting as she wants it to be. She's lucky, she could be talking to Catherine or Mortimer, I'm the most exciting Weasley she's got." 

~*~ 

"For ages, witchcraft and wizardry has been symbolized everywhere by the art of potion making. Muggle myths about cauldrons and miraculous potions were around long before stories about magic wands, dragons and unicorns. Muggles, desperate for a cure, would turn to the feared potion brewers for a last hope to save themselves or maybe a sickly child. Muggle relation laws weren't clearly drawn at this time, and sadly kind wizards and witches were found out because they felt pity on a Muggle in need and the Muggle caught a glimpse of how potions are brewed." 

Professor Granger paced the aisle, watching them cut up mint leaves and then made her way back up to her desk. She added a handful of blue powder to her cauldron. The potion fizzed and then went back to burbling gently. 

"In my class, I will only teach potions I feel are useful to your future as a witches or wizards. While a handful will be unpleasant potions, the majority will be things you can use in your daily lives. As you progress through Hogwarts, I expect we shall be able to brew many complicated potions, including truth serums and regretfully, poisons. However, knowledge of how such things are brewed will _protect_ you." 

The Ravenclaws were scribbling notes like mad and adding ingredients to their potions at the same time. Professor Granger would be finished with her lecture soon she'd and test their very first potion. Chloe never really liked Potions even just from watching her parents brew them. She found it incredibly dull to sit and watch liquid bring itself to a gentle simmer, or even more exciting a _rolling boil._ Why bother with something that took so much time when you could just work out the spell counterpart to it? She found the different ingredients interesting, but when one had to add "Three handfuls of Human Hair (Blonde)" to a potion, it just didn't seem worth it. Thank goodness you didn't have to cackle over a cauldron to be considered a witch anymore. How embarrassing. 

Finnigan had dipped his robe sleeve in his cauldron twice already and the other robe sleeve looked like quite a fire hazard. Sweat was forming on his forehead, and he turned the pages in his book frantically, trying to make sense out of it. Chloe, who had a knack for remembering plants, was able to toss the things into the cauldron and let it simmer away. Potion was potion. She was sure it would be fine. With a glance over at Aidan's table, she saw he was almost finished, but taking extreme care with his ingredients. She rolled her eyes. What an act. 

Chloe heard a soft jingle. _No._ It couldn't be! 

"Meghan!" she hissed, leaning over the table. "_Meg-han."_

Meghan's blue eyes rose from her book. "_What?"_ she mouthed back. 

"Your kitten!" Chloe pointed straight down and looked to see where Professor Granger was. 

Monster was batting at the hem of Finnigan's robe, collar jingling so loudly that Chloe was sure that she'd be discovered any second. 

Meghan put her hands to her head, trying to think of something fast. 

Professor Granger, who had been ladling up a Ravenclaw boy's potion, paused and cocked her head in their direction when Monster made a particular loud jingle. 

"Pick her up!" Meghan whispered desperately. "Shove her into your robes!" 

Chloe was about to lean down from her stool and snatch up Monster when Professor Granger strode over to their table, accessing their faces suspiciously. Chloe's heart stopped, when she saw Monster start to romp for Professor Granger's robes. 

Meghan suddenly, and unexpectedly, dived under the table. If anything, Chloe thought Meghan should be awarded house points for that sort of flexibility. 

"Meghan Weasley!" Professor Granger exclaimed. 

Finnigan looked from Meghan's now empty spot at the table, to Chloe, to Professor Granger and after deciding that he was in the dark as always, went back to fretting over his potion. 

"I-I-I-um-dropped my thing!" Meghan said from under the table. "I—" 

_Thump._

_"Ow! I_ needed to fetch it!" 

Professor Granger pursed her lips and fixed Chloe with an annoyed gaze, which Chloe did find most unfair that she was automatically _assumed_ to be up to something with Meghan. Even if she_ happened_ to be up to something, it _happened_ to be something that they did not do on purpose. 

Chloe shrugged at Professor Granger. "I think the heat from the fire is getting to her," she said in a stage whisper. She decided that adding a wink would be taking it a bit over the top. 

"Miss Weasley, remove yourself from under the table this very moment!" 

Professor Granger had blatantly _ignored_ her. Not even so much as a smile. Drat. She hadn't fallen for it… Chloe yelped, and jumped when she felt tiny claws latch onto her thigh. 

"Paper cut!" Chloe gasped, when Professor Granger rounded on her. She quickly put her first finger in her mouth, to hopefully prove her point. 

"My wand," Meghan said, extracting herself from under the table, red faced, curls mussed. "I…dropped…my wand." 

_Everyone_ was watching now. 

"And why were you using your _wand_ in Potions class?" Professor Granger had crossed her arms over her perfectly pressed dove-gray robes. Her foot had also begun to tap. 

Monster was now trying to push her way up from Chloe's lap, to the table. Chloe pressed her down firmly. 

"I was showing it to Finnigan." Meghan never skipped a beat when she lied. It was in her genes. Her right as a Weasley. Chloe had simply absorbed through the years from being absolutely surrounded by them. 

Finnigan however, was not so accomplished. His ladle hit the side of his cauldron with a loud clunk and looked everywhere except Professor Granger. Dead give away. Even Jamesy knew not to do that. 

"Mr. Bell," Professor Granger said sounding very cool and collected. Chloe knew that was an act, because her foot was still tapping. 

"Yes?" Finnigan squeaked, his gray eyes darting at Chloe and Meghan for the slightest indication for help. 

"What color is Miss Weasley's wand?" 

"Wha-what, Professer?" Finnigan stuttered. 

Chloe held her breath in anticipation. Oh…they were caught. This was not good. She had wanted so badly to do well in this class, despite it being Potions. 

"I said, what _color_ is Miss Weasley's wand?" Professor Granger's nostrils had begun to flare angrily. She was probably going to write some very long letters tonight. 

"Bla-bla-bla," Finnigan wasn't even able to use his normal volume…and his stutters came out in whispers. 

"Bla-bla-bla," Professor Granger repeated flatly. The class tittered. 

"Blackish-brown!" Finnigan exclaimed. 

"Miss Weasley, kindly take out your wand." 

Meghan reluctantly pulled out her wand. Chloe had known even before she pulled it out that it was— 

"Maple," Professor Granger said glaring at the wand and then Finnigan. "Hardly blackish-brown." 

"Well, not in this light," Meghan piped up helpfully. 

Chloe knew this was one of those times that they should have just given up right then, and _clammed up_. 

_Meow._

"What was that, Miss Potter?" Professor Granger demanded. 

"Meow," Chloe imitated, with wide innocent eyes. She hadn't intended to be funny, but apparently the other Gryffindors thought she was. 

"All three of you stand up right now." 

Chloe was last to stand up, and with bowed head, she handed Professor Granger a very squirmy Monster. 

"Thirty points from Gryffindor!" 

The lecture was long and humiliating. Chloe knew they sort of deserved it…because Professor Granger really was a good teacher and they had interrupted the class, even thought it was accidentally. But then Professor Granger crossed the line. She went far beyond taking off house points— 

"…You will see me after class about this, Miss Potter, and you can be certain your father will hear about this. Just because Harry didn't do well in Potions doesn't give you an excuse to follow in his footsteps." 

There was a definite ripple among Chloe's Gryffindor classmates and the Ravenclaws as they realized just who she was related to. 

Chloe and Meghan met eyes after Professor Granger had walked back up to the front of the room. Meghan shook her head as if to tell Chloe to ignore the whispers. 

So it was out, and her own aunt had caused it. Completely red-faced, Chloe had endured the lecture…but it wasn't until her aunt deliberately went and _praised_ Aidan Malfoy's excellent Potion work that she felt her real hurt. 

~*~ 

"I am _not_ giving her a Christmas present this year," Meghan swore as she slammed her books down on a common room table. "She didn't even try and get our side of things! She's the worst teacher we have! Our relatives spend ages complaining about how bad Snape was when they went to school…how cruel he was…how unfair. Hmph. Professor Snape might make us take a lot of notes, but at least he doesn't _pick_ on us." 

Chloe had just spent her entire day grilled by complete strangers with questions about her father, and had been asked about everything from 'Could you please get me an autograph?' to 'What sort of things does he eat?' She also had several other students come up, stare and comment to each other like she wasn't even there. 'That's his _daughter?_ She doesn't even look like him.' 'Oh, she's _adopted._ Didn't you know?' 'What a show-off…just coming in here and playing around just because of her dad.' She felt like throwing herself on her bed, screaming into a pillow, and behaving just like the brat everyone thought she was. 

"And he doesn't pick favorites." 

Catherine, another table away, didn't even look up from her homework when she replied. "I heard what happened, and I think you deserved it. There's no excuse for messing around in class." 

"Drop dead, Catherine." 

"Meghan, just because you're away from Mum and Dad doesn't mean you get to start behaving like you want to. This isn't just another tutor that Dad hired." 

"I'm not going to be expelled, am I?" Finnigan asked softly. He was miserably curled up in a tiny space on one of the couches. "I'm not any good at any of the classes…and then I made a Professor angry…" 

"No," Chloe replied, her face in her knees. 

"Then…then… it isn't so bad," Finnigan concluded slowly. He scooted off the couch to sit next to Chloe. "It's just some house points. I'm sure we can earn them back." 

Meghan joined them on the floor and patted Chloe's hair. "Right. Hear that, Chlo? Finnigan's right, it's not so bad." 

Chloe felt hot tears slide down her cheeks, and she knew they could tell she was crying. She _hated_ crying, but right now she felt so miserable and hated Hogwarts so much that she really just wanted to go home. 

"Listen," Finnigan said, pushing his dandelion fluff brown hair away from his eyes. "I don't understand why everyone is making a big deal about finding out who your dad is, and I don't understand why it makes you cry…but I've only heard good things about him today. So, that's not something to cry over, is it? We've only been here two days, we can make it right…." 

Chloe lifted her head, and wiped her eyes. "But…you don't really understand." 

Finnigan hugged her briefly. "It's okay. I still want to be your friend, Chloe. You and Meghan were the first people who were nice to me here…I don't suppose you're truly terrible, you seem too nice for that." 

Chloe, surprised and warmed by the hug, tried to stop crying. That was exactly what her mother would have done. Hug first. Explanation later. While it didn't help her homesickness, it did make her like Finnigan Bell a whole lot more. He was really decent. He didn't even seem mad that Meghan had dragged him into the whole Potions incident. 

"I'll be right back!" Meghan exclaimed, looking quite a bit more cheery. Finnigan's speech seemed to have done her some good also. 

When Meghan returned, she was hauling a box with Monster perched on top. She plopped down next to Finnigan and Chloe. Monster wound herself around their knees, purring like mad. "I had some sweets left over from the train, and mum sent a bit of pumpkin bread and biscuits. Thought we could use something to snack on while we explain the whole thing to Finnigan here…." 

Finnigan grinned. "All right. But you know, you can call me Finn, everyone in my family does. I like it a lot better." 

"You can call me whatever you like," Chloe replied. "There's not too much you can do to Chloe." 

"If you call me Meg," Meghan said handing Finn a slice of pumpkin bread. "I'll have to deck you. Chloe's the only one allowed to call me anything except Meghan. There's plenty you can do with Meghan." 

Chloe could tell Finn was beginning to get used to Meghan. Rather than looking petrified of her (as he had been); he merely shrugged and smiled at her. 

~*~ 

"Let me get this straight," Finn scratched his head and pointed at Chloe and Meghan. "I know I've got it backwards…. Your dad and your dad are brothers?" 

"No," Chloe shook her head. "My _mum_ and Meghan's dad are brother and sister." 

"That makes Chloe and I cousins," Meghan explained. "Get it?" 

"So.. wait…wait…I think I've got it. That means that Chloe is the niece of the Minster of Magic." 

"Exactly." 

Finn breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's not too bad." 

Chloe glanced at Meghan and took a bite of biscuit. They had _barely_ begun. 

"My mum," Chloe explained, "is one of seven children." 

"Seven," Finn repeated. "Got it." 

"And our Uncle Ron, he's the youngest boy, he's Chloe's dad's best friend. They met at Hogwarts." 

"Should I be writing this down?" 

"Probably," Chloe and Meghan answered together. 

Monster was rolling over and over a Chocolate Frog box blissfully. Chloe was laughing and stroking Monster's belly with the tip of her quill. "I'll write it down," she offered. "Won't take but a minute." 

"I suppose that would be the least confusing. Pathetic we need a visual aid, isn't it?" Meghan yawned. "It's all my dad's fault." 

"Why is it your dad's fault?" Finnigan asked, cocking his head curiously. 

Meghan grinned evilly. Chloe knew that while she didn't like to tell too many people about her family, Meghan _loved_ dropping this bombshell on people. "Well, there _are_ ten of us, aren't there?" 

"Ten what?" 

Chloe stopped writing and watched the show. 

"Well, ten children of course!" Meghan held up both her palms to emphasize the number. 

"You have got to be joking," Finnigan said glancing at Chloe. "She's kidding…right?" 

Chloe nodded. "And they've all got _red_ hair." 

"Ten. Like…one and then a zero," Finn repeated incredulously. "That's…that's…wow. I mean, don't you lose people?!" 

"Lose people?" Meghan burst out laughing and had to lay back on the floor when her laughter got to be too much. "No! My father is far too strict for that. That'd be really bad press!" 

"That's…." 

"One hundred fingers and one hundred toes," Chloe provided. " Very clean ones, too. There's a chart to check." 

"How many kids does _your_ family have?" Finn asked Chloe. 

"Thirteen." 

"_What_!" 

Chloe grinned. "I'm only kidding. There's just two of us. I've got a little brother named James. He's named after my first grandfather." 

"Don't ask about that story just yet," Meghan advised. "You've still got to get through the immediate-immediate family." 

"Do you have any other cousins?" 

"Just Laura. Uncle Ron's daughter. She just turned five. Uncle Ron was Chloe's dad's best friend at Hogwarts, remember? That's how Chloe's dad and Chloe's mum knew each other…they got married after Chloe's mum's first husband died when Voldemort killed him." 

"Killed him!" Finn exclaimed. "He wasn't like a half-cousin twice removed, was he?" 

"Voldemort!?" Meghan and Chloe chorused. "No!" The common room quieted a bit and students glanced their way. 

"Meghan!" Mortimer hissed from across the room. "Don't scream that name!" 

"Voldemort was a wizard who led the dark side in the last two wars," Chloe screwed up her face, disgusted. She tried to explain as quietly as possible. "He killed loads of people, Finn. Killed my dad's parents and tried to kill my dad. But that was the first war, my dad was only a baby." 

Meghan, with a Chocolate Frog in her mouth, waved a card eagerly at Chloe. 

"Oh!" Chloe accepted the card and after glancing at it, handed it to Finn. "Here's a photo of him." 

"Your _father_ is on a card in a box of candy?" 

  
"We've been _trying_ to tell you that he's famous," Meghan said after swallowing her frog. "That's why Chloe was so upset!" 

"I don't like that picture of him," Chloe thought out loud to herself. "He looks boring." 

"I wouldn't say boring," Meghan replied. "He does look a bit heavier than usual though. I think they took the photo wrong…the shape of his face isn't the same in real life. I'd say he looks like he ate too many sweets." 

Chloe squinted at the picture. "He takes such terrible pictures. Whenever a photographer talks to him, he squirms and makes faces that he never makes when he's around anyone else…and when they ask him to look heroic or brave or something, he comes out looking—" 

"Very frowny," Meghan nodded. "I'm sure we could find a better picture for Finn." 

After reading the Chocolate Frog caption about Harry Potter, Finn seemed a little more enlightened. "Are there any other family surprises?" 

"Did we mention we're related to the Potions professor?" Chloe handed the rough family tree to Finn to look over and smiled sweetly. 

"She's our aunt." 

"I'm glad I have seven years to get this worked out this out," Finn sighed. 

"You'll need them," Meghan grinned mischievously. "What would you ever do if you came for Christmas? Or if someone else decided to have five more babies?" 

"Will you tell us about your family?" Chloe said scooping up Monster and kissing her. 

"Sure," Finn nodded. 

~*~ 

Mrs. Katherine Linter always worked during her lunch hour. Socializing with the other ladies in the office really wasn't her cup of tea. They chatted about how their Tommys and Marys were off to Eton or going on a football or music scholarship. What was Katherine supposed to talk to them about? She couldn't tell them that her Finnigan was off at Hogwarts, now, could she? 

She had only received one letter from him so far. It was short and sweet; Finnigan was never one saying more than he needed to. He would be in the middle of his third day of classes today…. 

The phone bleated and Katherine set down her sandwich. Odd. The phone rarely rang during lunch hours. Oh well. 

"Good afternoon, Tower Enterprises, how may I direct your call?" 

"Good afternoon, with whom am I speaking?" said a pleasant male voice on the other end. 

"Sir, you've reached the reception board, where shall I direct your call?" Katherine nearly rolled her eyes. 

"I would like to know whom I'm speaking with," the man repeated, still sounding cheerful. 

"Katherine Linter, I'm the receptionist. How may I direct your call?" 

There was a very long pause. 

Katherine stared warily at the call transfer screen. What was with this weirdo? 

"You said Katherine Linter?" 

Katherine was quickly losing her patience and precious time to glance over the sale advertisement for Marks and Spencer. How difficult was 'How-can may-I-direct-your-call?' 

"Yes, sir." 

"Ah, good. I don't know if you remember me, Katherine…but I remember you quite well. We used to be on a team together, and you were extremely nice to me. Of course, you didn't go by Katherine then…_Katie_." 

Katherine's heart began to beat wildly, and she grabbed the edge of her desk, her palms sweating. "I don't know who this is," she stuttered, "or how you got this number, but don't contact me again. Ever!" 

She disconnected the phone and struggled to pull her headset off, as if it were strangling her. Her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't manage it. The phone bleated again, and she stared at it, frozen in fear. 

Finally on the tenth ring, she connected the call. 

"T-T-Tower Enterprises." 

"Katie, don't hang up. It's Harry. Harry Potter. I _know_ you remember me. I don't know why you don't want to talk to anyone in the wizarding world…but please…talk to me. It's about your son." 

"How did you get this number?" Katie hissed. She clutched her stomach, feeling very sick. "This is a Muggle line!" 

"Katie." Harry sounded almost amused. "I know how to dial a telephone. I can also program a video recorder if you give me enough time, but those things are probably irrelevant in the Muggle world by now…." 

"How did you get it?" Katie repeated stonily. 

"I'm the head of the Confederation. I get lots of things." 

"What do you know about my son?" 

"I happen to know that my daughter has befriended him. I'm very thrilled actually. I'm sure a child of yours will be nothing but a good friend, and more than likely, a good influence." 

"_You_ have a daughter Finn's age?" Katie questioned quickly. 

"Well, yes. Her name is Chloe. She's a very good girl, tendency to be a bit melodramatic…but very imaginative." 

_Click._

Harry pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it. Had she just hung up on him again?! 

Something was definitely up. Katie Bell did _not_ want to be recognized or spoken to from anyone in the wizarding world. 

~*~ 

Author note: I know you're probably wondering…although I'm sure most of you have figured out who 'Paddy' is. Queen Amy had the smarts to think that one up and it took me probably 5 minutes to realize the connection. (I felt really dumb too.) I had asked her for a name that Chloe could use to call Sirius rather than 'Grandpa' or 'Grandfather.' Also, it had to be wildly adorable so that Sirius can be taunted with it at some point. Paddy=Padfoot. Cute, eh? Poor guy keeps being mentioned but hasn't shown up yet…but he'll be around soon enough. 

If you didn't notice, the letter was just used as sort of a preview device to set up the scenes later in the chapter. I can also work in extra bits of information that I can't fit in the actual scenes into her letters. 

Many thanks to Anne, who really helped me out with this chapter. She helped me fix Hermione. Thanks for betaing, Anne! 

Thanks to all the people who review. I really love your comments! 

Disclaimer: Don't know if there's a real Tower Enterprises, aside from Gryffindortower.net. ;-) Never been in a Marks and Spencer, so they aren't mine. 


	7. Sidestepping, Socializing, and a Shoebox

Chapter Seven- Sidestepping, Socializing, and a Shoebox  
  
~*~  
  
Hauling Monster by the scruff of her neck, Meghan was the first to exit the Charms classroom.  
  
"For goodness' sake, Meg, chain her to your bed! She turned up for Herbology this morning too!" Chloe put her wand in her robes and shook her finger at Monster. "You're really cute, but you're a royal pain."  
  
Meghan, who had intended to scream at the kitten in the hallway for disrupting Charms changed her mind. "Well.that would be sort of mean of us. I don't think she's trying to cause trouble. We really shouldn't punish her for being loyal."  
  
"Being loyal!" Chloe exclaimed. "Why, you're lucky we didn't have any more house points taken off from Professor Flitwick. Not everyone is going to think it's cute that she's following us around like a.." Chloe screwed up her face and tried not to smile. "Like a little puppy dog."  
  
"I just can't do it," Finn moaned in despair. "I can't do any of the classes."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Finn," Meghan consoled, ignoring Chloe when Finn slumped out of the classroom. "You'll catch on. Everyone does. Plus, look at the partner you've got. You're always stuck with him in classes because no one else wants to sit by that git."  
  
Finn was still considerably stressed. "But I haven't done one spell correctly. I did everything wrong in Herbology this morning, and I'm sure I didn't do so well on the Potions essay. He shook his head sadly. "And it isn't Aidan. He's not bad. At least, I don't think he is. He's just really quiet and takes a lot of notes. He's smarter than me.. Maybe he needs a friend."  
  
"No," Chloe said quickly. "You don't want to make friends with him, Finn. Trust us. And he's not smarter than you, he's trying to show off."  
  
"I do trust you," said Finn, "but that doesn't make any sense. Why do you never talk to him? You talk to everyone else. It's like you hate him or something."  
  
"Why doesn't he talk to anyone else?" Meghan said, raising an eyebrow at Finn.  
  
Finn shrugged.  
  
"Exactly." Meghan tucked Monster into her robe pocket, allowing her head and front paws to hang out. "Let's go to lunch."  
  
"How do you know him?" Finn asked, hurrying to keep pace in his enormous robes. "I thought you said you really didn't know anyone in our house, because you were taught at home except for nursery school."  
  
"We.just do and it's just not a good idea to make friends him. He's not like the other students," Meghan replied.  
  
"How?" Finn asked curiously. "Seems normal to me. Just quiet."  
  
"Because," Chloe said, very frustrated. "That's just the way things are."  
  
"Can't we talk about something else?" Meghan added. "Like lunch?"  
  
~*~  
  
Severus Snape bared his teeth at the parchment he was reading, crumpled it, and threw it into the fire. Professor Granger had made the speculation that he should simply install a comment box directly above the fireplace and leave the bottom off of the box. His Deputy Headmistress didn't know how right she was sometimes..  
  
He glanced into the desk-sized cauldron on his desk and checked the process of his beverage. It had worked for thirty-five years from keeping him from getting sunspots, keeping his hair black and shiny and himself in impeccable health.  
  
A polite knock. Severus glanced at the clock. Yes, it was three o' clock precisely.  
  
"Enter."  
  
Professor Granger strode in, took her usual seat, and waited politely with her parchments.  
  
"Afternoon."  
  
Professor Granger spilled right into her business. "The merpeople are telling us there's a crisis with the seaweed at the bottom of the lake. There's not enough, as Hagrid decided to breed the giant squid and apparently the new addition eats quite more than his share. Well, it might be a her. Hagrid isn't sure yet."  
  
Severus didn't appear slightly interested. "Do we not have a Herbology professor employed at this school? Let her take care of it. If she can't, that's simply too bad. Tell the merpeople they're the ones who decided to take up residence in the lake."  
  
"Mmm," said Professor checking it off her list. "So, inform Professor Higginbotham of the crisis and if she can't resolve it, politely suggest to the merpeople to use another natural resource in the lake."  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you not to repeat everything I say?" Severus said impatiently. He ladled his drink into a goblet. "I know what I say."  
  
"Of course you do," Professor Granger said distractedly, as she tapped her quill on her clipboard. "Oh, yes. The flying teacher we selected for this year is still not satisfied with our salary offer. He insists that-"  
  
"Tell the new flying teacher that he'll take the salary we offer him or he can just go fly into a brick wall for all I care. That ungrateful con artist won't get a Sickle more than what he's worth and that isn't mu-"  
  
"Yes, very good," Professor Granger interrupted. "So, conference with the new flying teacher and offer him an excellent health and dental package to go along with his salary."  
  
"Handsome salary," Snape sneered. "Don't forget to add that."  
  
Professor Granger Mmm-hmm'd at him.  
  
"And stop repeating everything I say. If I have to send you to court reporting school, it will be at your own expense." Severus downed his drink in a gulp and opened his desk drawers, searching for a napkin.  
  
"Mr. Filch demands that the school pays compensation for his cane, as Peeves allegedly stole it, performed a degrading song and dance number with it, and then smashed it to bits. Direct quote, by the way, at his insistence. " Professor Granger didn't bother looking up from her notes, and held out a napkin for him, between her first finger and her thumb.  
  
"After you tell Mr. Filch that he simply deserves to be beaten over the head with his cane for not being able to control that disgusting poltergeist yet, you may compensate for Mr. Filch's seventh cane."  
  
"Offer Mr. Filch a small pay increase and replace his cane. Inform Peeves of retaliation for another incident."  
  
"These are the only reports you have for me?" Severus said impatiently.  
  
Professor Granger thumbed through her papers. "Yes, just this and the usual letters from parents."  
  
"I'm ahead of you," Severus said succinctly. "I took care of most of the letters this morning."  
  
"I surmised as much," Professor Granger replied with a pained glance at the crumpled up balls of parchment that hadn't made it into the fireplace. "Has Pansy Malfoy replied to your last letter?"  
  
"No." Severus actually smiled briefly. A very satisfied smile. "I'm not expecting a reply. I think Mrs. Malfoy and I have come to a little understanding."  
  
"Aidan did very well in my first class," Professor Granger commented. "Looks to be a dedicated student, reserved, but that's understandable. I'm sure he'll branch out sooner or later."  
  
"I disagree completely," Severus answered. "I've had him twice now and he's undoubtedly up to something. He's only dedicated for a reason."  
  
"Up to something!" Professor Granger exclaimed in disbelief. "I refuse to entertain that idea. If he was up to something, he would have done something! You're making very broad assumptions about him, Headmaster."  
  
"I would say the same to you. And.I've yet to hear you comment on Weasley and Potter, are they as dedicated as you claim Aidan Malfoy to be? Have you taken them under your wing also?"  
  
"You know very well-"  
  
~*~  
  
During a lull in History of Magic-Professor Binns was drawing a timeline to accompany his lecture-Finn decided to try once again to strum up conversation with Aidan Malfoy. He hadn't been successful yet, but he reckoned if he kept trying, Aidan would come around.  
  
"I bet that timeline takes him the rest of class to draw," Finn whispered.  
  
Aidan shrugged.  
  
"Which classes do you suppose you're the best at?" Finn asked.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Do you and Chloe Potter know each other?"  
  
Of all the reactions Finn expected, nothing could have prepared him from Aidan snapping his head up and staring him down. "What about Chloe Potter?" Aidan hissed angrily.  
  
"I-I-I thought maybe you two knew each other from somewhere.." Finn clutched his chair and leaned back as far away from Aidan as possible.  
  
"What did she tell you?" Aidan demanded.  
  
"Nothing!" Finn held up his hands and nearly fell backwards out of his chair. "Nothing, I swear."  
  
"Why did you want to know?"  
  
"Chloe is my friend.and well, I thought that-"  
  
"You thought wrong. There is nothing to know, so don't ask."  
  
"I-I won't, sorry I asked," Finn apologized. "You just never talk to anyone and-"  
  
"Why talk when I have nothing to say?" Aidan snapped. "I don't talk to hear myself like your friends."  
  
Finn was surprised Aidan was still willing to carry on the whispered conversation.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"I have nothing in common with the people in this house."  
  
"Erm," Finn answered.  
  
"Did Potter put you up to this?"  
  
Finn shook his head vigorously. "No way."  
  
Aidan stared at him for a while, eyes narrowed. "Okay."  
  
Finn chanced a smile. Aidan didn't smile back.  
  
"You must be really stupid, Bell, talking to me. If you want Potter and Weasley to remain your friends, I wouldn't tell them about this conversation."  
  
Finn didn't know how to respond again. "Why not?" he asked eventually.  
  
"Because that's just the way things are," Aidan said with a raised eyebrow, as if this were obvious. He went back to his work after shaking his head at Finn.  
  
They were quiet for the rest of class, but Finn felt accomplished. That was the longest Aidan had ever spoken to him. Finn wondered if Chloe and Aidan realized they had echoed each other less than two hours apart.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry was tired. It had been a long day at work, and he was looking forward to dinner and quiet evening. Plus, he wanted to give some thought to why Katie Bell had exiled herself from the wizarding world.  
  
"You look dead on your feet," Ginny commented, walking into their bedroom and kissing him. "I made dinner today, so why don't you take a bit of a nap beforehand."  
  
Harry was pleased. Ginny was a great cook, and having her cook for them was a real treat. She only did it when the fancy struck her, as she had discovered that it upset the house elves when she tried to do it all the time. In turn, the novelty never really wore off.  
  
Harry unfastened the top of his Auror robes and searched his closet for a more comfortable set. "You're amazing, it's like you knew I had a long day."  
  
Ginny shrugged and miraculously pulled the exact robes he had been looking for from the closet. "Stroganoff and that French bread with that garlic butter you like so much."  
  
Wow. His favorite dish even. Harry was looking forward to the meal.but now he couldn't quash the suspicion that something was up. "That was nice of you."  
  
"Charlie and Anastasia are coming for dinner too," Ginny added, raising her voice to be heard from the bathroom, where she was applying fresh lipstick.  
  
"Okay," Harry sighed. "What's going on?"  
  
"I told you, Charlie and Anastasia are-"  
  
"You're buttering me up for something," Harry said with a grin, "and I am on to you, Mrs. Potter."  
  
"You conceited little man," Ginny said in an appalled tone. "I have no need to butter you up for something."  
  
"What is it?" Harry said lying back on the bed. "You might as well give it to me straight. You already made my favorite dinner and invited an audience so I couldn't make a big scene."  
  
"Invited an audience! Harry! Charlie and Anastasia have been abroad for seven months living on the Dragon Colony."  
  
"Convenient."  
  
"Grump. Take your nap."  
  
~*~  
  
Chloe's hand throbbed. She had been writing forever. Her essay went far over the requirements and she was certain Professor Granger would have no choice but to give her an top marks on it, since she had chosen an extremely difficult potion to research.  
  
Meghan and Finn had chosen potions out of their textbooks and finished in an hour. They had gone out to the grounds for fresh air and to explore the lake, leaving Chloe in the library to write.  
  
Chloe glanced at her watch. It had been four hours and Meg and Finn were back now to check on her.  
  
"You're still here!" Finn exclaimed. "How can you read about one potion for so long!"  
  
"She must be really ticked off at Professor Granger still," Meghan explained. "This is her twisted way of getting back at her, aren't I right, Chloe?"  
  
Chloe lifted her eyebrows and closed her book. "She said after class that I was being apathetic about Potions. She also said I should strive to do the best in the subject I dislike the most. I'm just trying to prove to her that I'm not apathetic."  
  
"See?" Meghan grinned. "She's going to make Professor Granger eat her words."  
  
"What's apathetic mean anyway?" Finn asked.  
  
Chloe, who had even taken the care to look that up, opened the dictionary to the marked portion and cleared her throat. "Apathetic. Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern."  
  
"Look up grudge," Meghan suggested with an evil grin. "Then work it into your essay."  
  
"Don't you hate Potions?" Finn picked up the book Chloe had been reading and gaped at it.  
  
"I don't care. I'm not letting Aidan Malfoy be better at it than I am," Chloe said, rolling up her parchment. "I picked the hardest potion I could find. I didn't understand all awful parts so I just wrote down lots of bolded things and wrote about them. It came out way longer than she asked for. She has to give me top marks No one in our class would do this potion."  
  
"And the truth comes out," Meghan laughed. "Finn, take my advice, don't get on Chloe's bad side or tell her she can't do something."  
  
"Let's go play Exploding Snap in the common room," Chloe answered, shouldering her bag. "Will you take me to look at the lake tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure," Meghan said linking arms with Chloe. "You might be mental, but someone has to stand up for us."  
  
~*~  
  
"Does Perce have any new kids yet?" Charlie asked while refilling Anastasia's wine glass for her.  
  
"I think they're stopping at a nice subdued ten," Harry said sarcastically.  
  
"Nanny Aggie says Weasley babies come down the laundry chute," James piped up.  
  
Ginny shushed him. "How was life on the Dragon Colony?"  
  
"Cramped, loud, and flammable," Anastasia answered good-naturedly.  
  
"And you left the C.I.A. for all that and more." Harry was still slightly disgruntled that Anastasia had quit her job as one of his Confederation officers for a job working with dragons with Charlie. She had been one of his favorite Aurors, quite talented.  
  
She smiled broadly. "Only pursuing what makes me happy."  
  
Charlie stretched in his chair and puffed out his chest. "I make Anastasia really happy, and she barely has to pursue."  
  
"You're merely an on the job perk," Anastsia retorted saucily. "Mostly an on the job prat."  
  
"I love it when you're fiesty," Charlie snickered, putting an arm around her.  
  
"When you get tired of messing with him, you can come back and be an Auror again," Harry grinned.  
  
Ginny waved Harry's comment aside. "So, are you not even thinking about getting married? You've been together for so long. Five years now?"  
  
"Marriage," Charlie wrinkled his nose. "That's for old people who want to sit on porch swings together."  
  
"Charlie," Ginny groaned. "You're older than Harry and I. Even older than Percy."  
  
"We don't have a porch swing," Harry said defensively.  
  
"We have a swing set!" James contributed.  
  
"Anastasia and I prefer to take our dating at a reasonable pace, and not to rush into commitments," Charlie said.  
  
"That's the speech you've been giving Mum." Ginny rolled her eyes.  
  
"How'd you guess?" Charlie exclaimed. "What's wrong with it?"  
  
"The word commitment was a dead give away," Ginny pointed out. "I'd work on that one." She smiled at Anastasia. "Let me know when you've wrestled him into it. You're our only hope for him. Bill's just a lost cause.."  
  
"You sound as though we haven't got anyone to carry on the Weasley genes," Charlie scoffed. "As if Percy's kids weren't enough."  
  
"Are you saying you only want Percy's genes to carry it on?" Ginny said innocently.  
  
Charlie smirked at her. "Very funny."  
  
"Let's go to the living room and visit a bit," Ginny suggested, pushing her dessert plate away. "James, why don't you go play upstairs for awhile?"  
  
Harry found this comment a bit odd, as Ginny rarely discluded barred the children from conversation visits unless it was past bedtime. But, he had guessed earlier that she was up to something.  
  
"Chloe doesn't want to go play upstairs," James protested.  
  
Ginny and Harry had quietly explained earlier to Charlie and Anastasia the situation with the pretend Chloe and Charlie had been delighted. He insisted on directing comments toward the pretend Chloe's plate, such as, "Why yes, Chloe, I think Anastasia chews funnily too," and "How very kind of you to say your Uncle Charlie is so handsome, Chloe."  
  
"Chloe Grace, please go upstairs," Ginny said calmly.  
  
"Chloe said no thank you," Charlie grinned. Anastasia elbowed him sharply.  
  
Harry stored this information away, to use if Charlie ever had children. Ginny shot her brother a stern look.  
  
"Chloe better get upstairs unless she wants to go to bed right now," Harry said sternly.  
  
James grudgingly left the dining room.  
  
When the adults had settled into the living room, Ginny told them all to relax and she would be right back. She returned holding a shoebox.  
  
"What is that?" Harry asked.  
  
"I invited you over to see a little surprise I planned for James," Ginny beamed.  
  
"You got him shoes?" Charlie asked. "Does he not get them very often?"  
  
"No," Ginny said. "This is much better."  
  
It was then that Harry realized that the shoebox had airholes in it.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Harry protested. "I thought we'd discussed this!"  
  
"We did, and I decided to do it anyway. I think it will be good for you," Ginny said sitting down and putting the box on her lap protectevily.  
  
"Whatever is in that box is going back to wherever it came from!" Harry said angrily. "I knew you were buttering me up!"  
  
Charlie and Anastasia were watching the argument like a tennis match.  
  
"The thing in this box is staying, and you don't really have a say in this. It's good for James. He's been very sad that Chloe left him."  
  
"Sorry," Charlie interuppted. "But.could you tell us what's in the box so we could follow this a bit better."  
  
"A mangey little runt," Harry snorted.  
  
"The Potters' Firebolt," Ginny answered.  
  
"The Potters' what?!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Well, he's registered, isn't he? I had to think of a fancy name for him."  
  
"He's not The Potters' Anything. He's going back."  
  
"Firebolt. It's a very appropriate name."  
  
"I can't believe you just went out and purchased one without my consent!"  
  
"I wouldn't have your consent in a million years, so I decided that you would learn to live with it."  
  
"Oh boy," Charlie said. "This makes us want to get married."  
  
"Just look at him," Ginny said huffily. "You aren't being fair to James and I."  
  
"Fine. Let me see the dumb thing."  
  
"Have you finished yelling?" Ginny said crossly.  
  
"Not by a long shot," Harry answered grumpily.  
  
Ginny opened the top of the shoebox, and nestled in strips of newspaper, was a jet black dachshund puppy. He was no bigger than Harry's palm.  
  
"Awwww!" Charlie and Anastasia said together.  
  
Ginny smiled winningly at them. "They like him."  
  
Harry scrutinized the puppy. "Tell me it's going to get bigger.because if that's the full size.you're sending it back and at least getting something larger than a rat."  
  
Ginny nodded. "He's just a baby. You can hold him if you like."  
  
"No thank you," Harry said going back to his chair. "It will only bite me. This is your dog. I have no part in this."  
  
"Shhh," Ginny said closing the shoebox again. "James!" she called. "James! Come down here!"  
  
James ran into the living room moments later, pleased that he had been drawn from his exile. "Yes, Mummy?"  
  
"Mummy and Daddy have a surprise for you," Ginny said patting the couch, so James would sit next to her.  
  
Harry cleared his throat in annoyance. Ginny glared at him.  
  
"You're getting to be a big boy now, so Mummy got you something she thinks you can take really good care of. It can be your new friend."  
  
James was bouncing in the seat. "What is it? What is it?"  
  
Ginny set the shoebox on the floor. "Go open that up and look inside."  
  
When James opened the lid, he shrieked loudly and crashed into Ginny's legs, hugging her. James threw himself in Harry's lap, praising him as the "Bestest Daddy in the whole wide world"  
  
Harry felt extremely guilty and concluded that he could live with keeping the mongrel.  
  
The puppy had woken up with James'shrieks and started yapping. James scooped the wriggling puppy up and cuddled it and kissed it. The puppy loved the attention and when James set him down, he sat on his round bottom and yapped along with the continued shrieking.  
  
The rest of the evening was spent with Ginny, James, Charlie and Anastasia playing with the new puppy. Harry was content to be only a spectator, and couldn't help rolling his eyes when they all cooed like dummies when the mutt fell asleep on Ginny's lap, on his back after a tummy rub. Pathetic.  
  
"Harry," Ginny said, paying him the most attention she had all evening except for their argument, "would you like to hold the puppy? He's just sleeping.and he doesn't bite."  
  
Harry sighed heavily. It did look harmless. Whatever to make her happy. "Sure. Dump him here."  
  
James, who was quite gentle with the puppy, put him in Harry's lap. "Pet him, Daddy."  
  
Harry awkwardly patted the puppy, exactly the wrong way, and caused it to wake up. The puppy yapped at him for a few seconds and then got quiet when Harry tried to pat it again.  
  
"There!" Ginny exclaimed. "You see, he likes you too, Harry!"  
  
Harry was just about to believe her, when he realized the puppy had been concentrating on something else in his silence. The lap of his robes grew very warm.  
  
"Bloody hell!" Harry roared. "Get this horrible thing off of me!"  
  
Charlie was in stitches of laughter. "Aw, Harry. He's just making a little water. It's his way of giving you a little gift. Why, I don't think you've been under a full grown dragon when they decide to-"  
  
"Get-him-off-of-me!" Harry said through gritted teeth.  
  
James, who gave Harry a look that clearly said his Bestest-Daddy-in the whole wide world award had been revoked, took his puppy away with an offended look at Harry. "He has a name, Daddy," James said defensively.  
  
"Yes," Ginny said, remembering that she forgot to tell James the dog's offical registered name, "it's F-"  
  
"Shoebox," James finished.  
  
"Shoebox?" echoed the adults, minus Harry.  
  
James pointed in the box the puppy had came in. "I want to call him Shoebox."  
  
"Darling," Ginny smiled, "Mummy had him registered as Firebolt. Isn't that a wonderful name?"  
  
"No," James said, bursting Ginny's bubble. "His name is Shoebox."  
  
"Chloe wants to get rid of the dog," Harry said, suddenly enlightening on a new course of action.  
  
"Don't be silly, Daddy," James scoffed, cuddling his puppy. "Chloe's at Hogwarts."  
  
Harry groaned. Of course, Ginny's plan had worked perfectly.  
  
"Shoebox," Charlie said testing the new puppy's name out. "It's interesting, I'll give you that."  
  
Ginny kissed Harry's forehead and stroked his cheek. "We like to keep things interesting around here. Right, Harry?"  
  
"I'll go get changed," Harry sighed.  
  
~*~  
  
Author Note: Thanks to Anne for betaing! Thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter! You're really making me feel less and less nervous about how people are going to like the sequel! 


	8. Making the Grade

Chapter Eight: Making the grade.  
  
Dear Sissy,  
  
Note: Chloe, James wanted to write you a letter and he insisted upon dictating it to me. I had to cross my heart and hope to die to put every word he said. Exactly. ~Mum  
  
You'll never guess what we have in the house now. A Shoebox. That's the name of my new puppy. He is very good. Like me. Good enough to get extra ice cream even. Don't forget to put cherry ice cream, Mummy, or Chloe won't know.  
  
Shoebox is long, like a wand. But he will get longer, because Mummy says he's only a baby. I can pick him up He's a dolphin dog, but Daddy says he's a scamp dog. What's the difference, Chloe?  
  
Shoebox likes to eat up my broccoli and he is black, just like the licorice that makes you gag. But you wouldn't throw up if you saw him, Chloe, because he is a very good dolphin dog. Mummy, don't forget to add that I made sure Shoebox didn't puddle in her room, I don't think she'd like it if he did. Right?  
  
I want to know if they have cherry ice cream at your school, Chloe. If they don't, I'm never coming. Tell Meghan that I want her to draw a picture of Shoebox when she gets home, so I can hang it up. Shoebox wants a picture of me, too. But he might chew it all up, like he tried to do with one of Daddy's spellbooks.  
  
Send more Chocolate Frogs, really really soon, because I am good,  
  
James.  
  
No, Mummy, put James-y, like she calls me, or she won't know it's really me.  
  
Jamesy.  
  
Jamesy Potter. Your brother.  
  
~*~  
  
A few days had passed since Harry and Katie's phone conversation. He had reckoned that she was going to contact him, but he hadn't heard a word from her. Either she was really furious at him for blowing her cover, or she really had a problem with dealing with anything from the wizarding world. Since she hadn't contacted him, Harry decided to take matters into his own hands and do a bit of research.  
  
Pauline MacGregor was head of the Library of Records and she was very particular in how her files were handled. Harry was very particular about how he handled Pauline. He clearly remembered having his hand slapped because he was "getting too grabby."  
  
"Afternoon, Mr. Potter," Pauline said cheerfully. "How is your family?" She continued writing, not really paying attention to his answer. "Please fill out a form stating your business and I'm going to need some proper identification. "  
  
Her rules were tiresome, but at least they were the same for every single person who wanted access to the records. He wasn't asked for ID much and she bloody knew it too. It probably amused her.  
  
"Information on Katherine Bell," Pauline said, glancing at Harry's clipboard. "Didn't one of your Aurors come down here looking for that a few days ago?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Small project of mine."  
  
"Identification?"  
  
Harry handed her his Auror ID. She studied it thoroughly.  
  
"Six foot two?" she said handing it back to him with a wry smile. "Misprint?"  
  
Harry colored. What had he ever done to her? "Five eleven, thank you."  
  
"No problem," she replied, slapping a red button on her desk. "Go ahead."  
  
The door marked "Confidential-Authorized Personnel Only" glowed gold and then slid open.  
  
"I'm sure the urine tests will start next week," Harry muttered.  
  
When Harry reached the doorway, he heard a sizzle, followed by a surge of pain running throughout his body. He yelled in surprise, and then blacked out.  
  
"Oopsies!" Pauline sung when her face blurred into focus. "Wake up, Mr. Potter." She patted his cheek roughly, making small slapping noises. "Wake up!"  
  
"What happened," Harry groaned, feeling quite.crispy. "Why am I on the floor?"  
  
"Silly me, forgot to take down the other magical shield. It's invisible, you know. Why, just last week, one of the Minister's assistants came in, and wouldn't you know it, the same thing happened to him. Threw him clean across the room! Of course, you didn't go nearly as far, Mr. Potter.."  
  
Harry closed his eyes and groaned again. "What are you going to do, mark my spot on the floor?"  
  
"Now, Mr. Potter, that's just morbid. Up you go! That's it!"  
  
Harry brushed off his robes and drug himself across the doorway, taking care not to put a hand on his aching lower back, as if he were an old man, until he was out of Pauline's sight. He made quick work of finding the Be- Bem file cabinet and heaved the enormous bottom drawer open.  
  
"Bekker, Beklam, Bekmonger, Beknoll," Harry murmered, running his fingers over the names. "Bekomp, Bekoff, Bekrinn, Bekson.."  
  
Harry frowned. Her file wasn't even here! How could she remove herself from the Library of Records? Every witch or wizard had to be listed-- it was done the moment they were born, and if they were Muggle born, a record was still made, simply without their knowledge.  
  
Harry slapped his forehead, feeling extremely stupid. She had got married! What name did she answered the phone with? He pushed the cabinet shut and it clanged sharply and clicked, relocking itself.  
  
Linter!  
  
Harry hurried over to the Lin-Lo cabinet, eagerly grasped the handle and jerked it back.  
  
Another sizzle, another sharp zap of pain, and this time a loud ringing in his ears when he came to.  
  
"Why, Mr. Potter, I'm beginning to think you like being on the floor," Pauline was saying, sounding like she had been chatting with him even while he was unconscious. "You never said you wanted to look anything up but Bell and you know the security precautions I take with these files!"  
  
"Oh yes, Pauline, I simply love being on the floor." Harry replied through clenched teeth. He was annoyed enough to pull rank on her. "You can't possibly think that the Head of the C.I.A. is likely to be a security risk!"  
  
Pauline was unfazed. "Of course you are," she said succinctly.  
  
Harry was determined to not let her hear the howl of frustration that was threatening to escape. "Can you kindly unlock the Lin-Lo cabinet?"  
  
"Yes, just give me a minute to get back to my desk and unlock it from there," she smiled.  
  
Harry didn't give her a minute. He gave her two full minutes before chancing a tentative swipe at the file cabinet.  
  
"Linter! Ha, there you are Katie!" Harry said triumphantly pulling the folder. He glanced at the two other Linter folders. Linter Jack, and Linter-Bell, Finnigan. The Linter, Jack folder was bright blue, not green like all the rest of the folders. That immediately answered quite a few questions. Jack Linter was a Muggle, married to a witch.  
  
Harry grabbed all three folders and shoved the file cabinet shut. A photograph fluttered to the floor from one of the folders and Harry picked it up and examined it. Jack Linter had had a solemn face, but he was definitely smiling with his gray eyes.  
  
Harry pocketed the photo and readied himself to persuade Pauline to take a few of her files out on a loan. How had Jack Linter died?  
  
~*~  
  
"You're positive she'll stay in the dormitory?" Chloe asked for the fifth time. She was quite nervous about Monster making another appearance in Potions class. This class had to go absolutely perfectly, Professor Granger was still sore at them, even though the last class had gone perfectly fine. They were supposed to get their essays back today, Chloe had even stayed up late memorizing the assigned reading by the light of her bauble. It didn't seem fair that the class she most disliked, she had to pay the most attention to.  
  
"Positive," Meghan reassured her. She frowned at her sketchbook and then turned it upside down and squinted. "Do you quite remember what that strawberry of Finn's looked like? I don't think I've got it right."  
  
Finn had had a tragic encounter with their very first Transfiguration practical that morning. They had been each given a strawberry and instructed to change it into a thimble. Poor Finn had felt terrible about his practical and the end result had looked pretty grim until Meghan had seen it and proclaimed it nothing short of art.  
  
"The leaves ended up on the pointy side," Chloe said. "You forgot to add those."  
  
Meghan nodded and bent over her work again. "I think I have a title for it."  
  
Chloe lifted her gaze. "What?"  
  
"A Berry Tortured Strawberry."  
  
"Meghan, that was a really awful pun," Chloe informed her, joining Meghan's giggles. "You better not tell Finn that. You'll hurt his feelings."  
  
"He should be proud he's contributing to the art world," Meghan argued. "I think he'd like it."  
  
"Where is he anyway?" Chloe wondered, looking at Finn's empty spot at their table. "He said he was going back to the dormitory to switch books and get his essay."  
  
"Oh no," Meghan said frowing at the blackboard. "Desalinization Potion. Why does that sound really hard?"  
  
"It's just taking the salt out of salt water. Agatha Cleary invented it."  
  
"Am I supposed to know that?" Meghan asked suspiciously.  
  
"I read ahead just a little bit," Chloe said apologetically.  
  
"You must still be really mad at her," Meghan laughed. "You hate textbooks."  
  
"I wonder why Agatha Cleary invented the potion. Maybe she and her husband and baby got marooned on a desert island and they couldn't find any water at all. Maybe she invented it to save her baby, who was dangerously dehydrated an-"  
  
"Yeah." Meghan rolled her eyes. "Right she did, Chloe. I think you just wanted the textbook to say that."  
  
"Well, it should," Chloe pouted. "I was about to scream with boredom."  
  
"I think you should just quit being mad at her. Nearly everyone treats us just fine," Meghan concluded. "If you work this hard now, she'll just think you have to do it all the time. That'd be no fun."  
  
"Herbology is so much more interesting than this class," Chloe sighed heavily. "Who wants to know a stupid potion for taking the salt out of water? Just take your wand out and do the spell, it's not any fuss at all."  
  
Meghan shrugged and continued sketching. "You know, we haven't been to see Hagrid once, and we've been here nearly a week, we should go visit before we hurt his feelings. I bet he'd really like Finn."  
  
Chloe and Meghan adored Hagrid. When he came to visit, something interesting always occurred. Especially when he brought animals for them to look at and play with. Chloe, Meghan, and Hagrid had been the only ones amused when a loose pack of Jarveys escaped in Meghan's house one holiday. It had taken most of the day to find all of them, (they were allowed to run about with nets, like explorers) and they finally found the last one hidden in a Christmas tree shrieking "Blockheads! Blockheads!" at the touring groups. Meghan had wickedly demanded that the Jarvey be required to write an essay about its misbehavior. Percy put Meghan in the corner and poor Hagrid got an earful about "Miscreant animals and their effects on susceptible young minds." Later, when Chloe and Meghan confessed they were still on the Jarveys' side for having a bit of fun, their friendship with Hagrid had been sealed.  
  
Finn staggered into the room. "Hi," he breathed, relieved that Professor Granger wasn't in the room yet. "I saw Professor Flitwick in the corridor and he was offering me some tips to help get my magical concentration right. I hope it helps."  
  
"'Course it will," Meghan remarked, turning the page in her sketchbook. She looked around keenly for something to else to draw. "Hold that cross face at your Potion book, would you, Chlo? It's really interesting."  
  
Chloe stuck her tongue out at Meghan and grinned.  
  
"Lumos!" Finn experimented. He was squeezing his eyes shut and concentrating very hard. The end of his wand flickered a bit with light and glowed very dimly, like a small bit of flame on a candlewick about to extinguish.  
  
"That was better," Chloe said, trying to sound upbeat for Finn.  
  
Finn opened his eyes and sighed at his wand, which went out immediately.  
  
"It was better," Meghan added. "It's Friday.maybe you should just relax over the weekend and everything will come to you."  
  
"Okay," Finn replied glumly.  
  
~*~  
  
Potions ended up being somewhat more bearable than Chloe thought it would be. She had managed to earn house points by knowing a few things about the Desalinization Potion and when they brewed it, her potion had been more or less adequate. Professor Granger was in good spirits too, for she informed them that she was letting them go a bit early, due to a splendid job done on their essays.  
  
"Copy your weekend homework down, and I will discuss it after I distribute your essays."  
  
Finn was lucky with a last name like Bell, he never had to wait long for anything. He came back to their table with a slightly lower than average mark and with his normally pale cheeks apple red.  
  
"Really," he confided to Chloe and Meghan in a whisper while everyone else collected their essay, "I don't mind. I thought I did much worse, because I got really confused about the potion."  
  
"Chloe Potter."  
  
Chloe broke off her conversation with Finn and Meghan and hurried up to the desk, eyes shining. Professor Granger nodded at her and handed the scroll over. "Be more careful with your research next time, Chloe."  
  
Well, Chloe thought with mild disdain. Not a word of praise for the extra work. No matter, she just wanted to prove to Professor Granger that she wasn't a lazy person and she wasn't stupid.  
  
She unrolled her parchment scroll to look at her grade as she walked back to her seat. The glance brought her to a screeching halt almost causing Calixta to crash into the back of her.  
  
A what?!  
  
Another glance.  
  
A failing mark!  
  
Professor Granger had failed her essay! Chloe about faced and marched back to Professor Granger's desk, to demand an explanation. It was impossible! She had chosen an especially hard potion to research and exceeded the length requirements of the essay! She had checked and rechecked it.looked up words to make it sound nicer.and Professor Granger FAILED her?!?  
  
"I will answer questions about essay grades after class is dismissed," Professor Granger said, just before Chloe got to her desk.  
  
Chloe practically threw herself into her seat, not caring if she made a spectacle of herself or not. Meghan took one look at Chloe's grade and gave a gasp of horror, just like a best friend should.  
  
"No way," Meghan breathed, blue-eyes wide.  
  
Chloe remained silent, too shocked to do anything yet. Matters did not turn better when Meghan returned with an essay with a fairly decent mark. Meghan had spent half the amount of time on her essay.  
  
"She's completely lost her mind," Meghan hissed to Chloe. "I saw Aidan Malfoy's essay. He had it out on the table, probably wanted to make sure I saw it. She gave that prat a perfect score!"  
  
Finn bit his lower lip. "Chloe, try to stay calm. Maybe it was an accident."  
  
Chloe nodded numbly. That very idea was the only thing keeping her from losing her cool.  
  
After class, Chloe faced Professor Granger, appearing completely calm.  
  
"Chloe, I was not very pleased with your essay," Professor Granger said putting a textbook on a shelf behind her.  
  
Well, that much was obvious.  
  
"You were working on research that was far out of your reaches. Your essay did not reflect in any way that you had a proper appreciation for the potion you selected." Professor Granger patted her shoulder. "Don't bite off more than you can chew, Chloe."  
  
Chloe nodded, and bit her lower lip fiercely to keep from saying a word. She mustn't whine.. Professor Granger bid her a good weekend and left, Meghan and Finn were waiting for her in the hallway, while she cleaned up her supplies.  
  
Chloe threw her ladle with all her might into the sink. It clattered so loudly that it hurt her ears, but it felt good to throw things around. It wasn't fair! The one class she simply had to do good in, and her own aunt had it in for her. She rammed her cauldron into its spot on the shelf. She had failed her! Chloe didn't fail things! She hadn't bit off more than she could chew!  
  
"I hate Potions!" Chloe sneered at the gargoyle faucet, which of course, had a permanent sneer on its face too.  
  
Chloe hadn't noticed Aidan Malfoy was still putting up his supplies also. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke up.  
  
"Get a bad grade?" He leaned against another sink, studying her.  
  
It was the first time he had spoken to her since they were five-years old. The tone of his voice rendered her frozen, leaving no sound in the room except the running water from the gargoyle's mouth.  
  
"Leave her alone!" Meghan shouted, running back to the room and to Chloe's side. She clutched Chloe's arm defensively. "Don't you dare talk to her!"  
  
~*~  
  
Author Note: Thanks to Jilly and Anne for betaing. Actually that should be Anne and Jilly because Jilly was the one who threw a fit to get her paws on this chapter. Jilly would like to add her discontent to the beta comment as she repeated over the phone to me: "I do not beta. I edit."  
  
Also, since you all were upset with no letter at the beginning of last chapter, I decided to send James' letter. He means "dolphin dog" to mean "dachshund dog" and that's how I imagined a four year old would transpose such a thing.  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers. You guys are great. I really enjoyed lots of the comments from last chapter and there were a lot of cool speculations from the readers on Chloe's Bookshelf! You're the best!  
  
"Have you hugged you stuffed dragon today?" Join Chloe's Bookshelf! 


	9. Be Careful Who You Light On Fire, You Co...

Chapter 9 : "Be Careful Lighting People On Fire, You Might Get Stuck With Their Job"  
  
Chloe replaced her quill in the inkpot and studied her letter with satisfaction. She giggled, added a few more X's and O's at the bottom and sealed it with a small smirk. This ought to get something done.  
  
Dear Grandmummy,  
  
Thank you so much for the sweets you sent Meghan, Finn, and I. They were wonderful. Especially since classes have been very, very hard. Especially Potions. Professor Granger never gives us a break.  
  
I'm so upset, Grandmummy, I made my very first failing grade. My essay was really excellent and I spent four hours in the library on it. It even went over the requirements. But I don't think that's enough for Professor Granger. She failed me. I wanted to cry. I guess she's harder on me because I'm related to her.and she thinks I'm not behaving like a proper witch. I just know I could do well if she'd give me a chance.  
  
Oh, do you know what else? She adores Aidan Malfoy. She gave him full marks for his essay and he was so snide about it to me. I just hope Hogwarts gets better than this.I thought I was much smarter than this. What if I get kicked out, Grandmummy? Daddy would never forgive me..  
  
Well, I'm off to go study some more. I really can't take but five minutes to write this letter or I'll get behind on my Potions reading. I wish Meg and I could go outside.but we have too much work.  
  
I miss you!  
  
XOXOXOX  
  
Your loving granddaughter,  
  
Chloe Grace  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione sighed deeply and waited for Hagrid to fill her teacup. "Oh, Hagrid, I'll be so happy when this week is over. After this weekend I can finally have free time to spend with Laura and Ron."  
  
"Firs' week of school is hard on everybody," Hagrid nodded. "Teachers an' students."  
  
"I just never imagined anything could happen like this whole situation with Chloe. She's in some sort of a phase. That has to be it. I just don't understand it." Hermione rested her fingers above her eyebrow and looked warily at the gamekeeper.  
  
"Harry an' Ginny's Chloe?" Hagrid's voice had such a sincere touch of surprise that Hermione almost groaned aloud. "She's been givin' trouble? Remus was praisin' her work jus' teh day before."  
  
"Remus probably didn't tell you of the little incident involving Meghan's cat," Hermione replied defensively.  
  
"'Course he did he did," Hagrid chuckled loudly. "Thought it was. ah well." He paused and seemed to assess the look on her face. "Well, I'm supposin' he'd tell you himself what he thought, but I didn't see much sassin' from Chloe n' Meghan in it."  
  
Hermione set down her cup, ready to clear things up once and for all. "Hagrid, they weren't trying to sass me, but I thought they were trying their limits the first day of class! If I had realized that none of the other Gryffindors had put the connection with Harry to Chloe had worked out Chloe's relationship to Harry yet, I would have never mentioned it. Honestly, how could they have not made the connection? It's as if they don't read anything!"  
  
Hagrid nodded. "Course yeh didn' mean teh embarrass her, but I've been hearin' things from tha other teachers an' it looks like tha' cat of Meg's likes teh go teh classes. Think it could've not been on purpose?"  
  
"I know that now. I think this whole incident is over, finally. She turned in an essay, clearly trying to one-up me and I talked to her after class about it. She knows I mean business about my classes and I want her to do well. I think she understands why I graded her essay the way I did. She's a bright girl."  
  
Hagrid's face went blank. "Wha' essay?"  
  
Hermione shook her head, at him and rolled her eyes. "She turned in this.well, it was worse than one of Harry's old Divination papers. She didn't make it up, but she researched a Potion that was so far out of her grasp that she didn't even come close even covering the basic values of it! I simply couldn't grade it. I feel quite bad for failing her, but she understands why now."  
  
Hagrid sat back in his chair quite suddenly and he gazed at her with disbelief. "Hermione! You didn'! Not to Chloe! She's a good girl!"  
  
Hermione threw up her hands. "Hagrid! I'm not going to play favorites! Niece or not, it wasn't what I asked for!"  
  
"But did ya have ter fail her?" Hagrid said sorrowfully. "She's prolly more upset abou' that than everything else than any of it. Couldn' you have talked it ov'r with her and made her fix it up a'bit?"  
  
"I was proving a point!" Hermione protested loudly. "This is not cruel punishment! I am not sending my niece to the firing squad! If I wasn't confident that her grades would be fine the rest of the term, I would have chosen another course of action!"  
  
"She's yer student," Hagrid said looking up at her gloomily. "I wouldn't ta done tha same, but as long as yer on good terms with each other now."  
  
"Of course we're on good terms," Hermione said confidently. "I was hoping she and Meghan would come to my office for tea on Sunday and they could tell me about their first week. Catherine comes for tea quite a bit."  
  
~*~  
  
Remus liked Sunday morning breakfast. There was always a pleasant sleepy lull about things and no one was usually in a terrible hurry to get things accomplished. He drank his coffee contentedly and watched the students come into the hall in small clusters. Friendships were already solidifying at the end of the first week of school.  
  
"Good morning, Remus," Hermione said cheerfully, taking a seat next to him. "What have you got planned today?"  
  
Remus smiled at her. "A small bit of marking and a trip into Hogsmeade to pick up a few supplies."  
  
"I think I'm going to surprise Ron and Laura and go spend the afternoon with them. They aren't expecting me until tomorrow night, but I miss them terribly. I'm ahead on my marking-"  
  
"I heard," Remus said, looking away from her gaze at the word 'marking' and the corners of his mouth were threatening to twitch into a smile.  
  
"And I had planned to invite Chloe and Meghan for tea," Hermione added, raising an eyebrow at him. "Something on your mind, Remus?"  
  
Remus shook his head and accepted the butter dish from Professor Higginbotham. "No, Hermione, isn't it a beautiful morning? Thank you, Henrietta."  
  
"Good morning, faculty," Snape said coolly, looking at each of them.  
  
Whiz-bang, Professor Higginbotham's gray parrot, wolf-whistled cheerfully at the Headmaster when he took his seat on the other side of Hermione.  
  
Snape narrowed his black eyes at the bird and Remus was positive Snape was contemplating how roasted parrot would taste for breakfast. Remus paid special attention to his fried egg so not to smile when he imagined Snape trying to tempt Whiz-bang-Polly want a sleeping draught?  
  
Post owls began to fly lazily into the Great Hall and deliver their letters and parcels. Remus wondered if his restorative for the fruit bats the fifth years had tried to Transfigure into bowls of fruit would come in today. They had taken quite a magical beating. He would definitely move that spell farther down the syllabus next year and to let his students recover from the summer cobwebs.  
  
Three owls were hauling an elephant of a parcel to one of the students. Remus squinted at it. It was hideous too. Brown paper with a garish bow in Gryffindor colors stuck on top.  
  
And it landed directly in front of Chloe Potter.  
  
For a moment, Remus entertained the idea that James had mailed himself to Chloe. That definitely hadn't been done yet and the box looked large enough.  
  
"What is that?" Hermione said peering down at the Gryffindor table. "Harry would never send something like that."  
  
"Just a care parcel," Remus said sipping his coffee again. "I'm sure it's Molly with baked goods for all of them."  
  
"But-" Hermione didn't finish her statement because an owl swooped her direction and dropped a letter beside her plate.  
  
The entire staff leaned forward to stare at Hermione, their mouths open.  
  
"Oh dear," Professor Flitwick squeaked. "And during breakfast hours."  
  
Professer Higginbotham clucked her tongue.  
  
Hermione held the red envelope between her fingers, very perplexed. "But who would send me a Howler?"  
  
"With all due respect," the Headmaster said with a very plain smirk. "There is a time and place for contemplation.."  
  
Hermione pulled out her wand efficiently. "Nonsense. I read about the counter-curse. Detendracarta!"  
  
The Howler was still for a moment and then began smoking and quivering.  
  
Remus set down his coffee cup and gave Hermione a sympathetic look. "Perhaps they read about it too."  
  
"That's impossible," Hermione replied quickly. "Detendracarta immediante!"  
  
The Howler stopped smoking and Hermione smiled happily at it. Then the envelope began to hiss and whistle, like an impatient teapot.  
  
"Professor Flitwick," Hermione said looking desperately at him. "You're the Charms Master.surely you've come across a spell."  
  
Professor Flitwick flinched.  
  
"But," Hermione said in a small voice most unlike her. "But.."  
  
As one, the Hogwarts staff lifted their fingers to their ears.  
  
"HERMIONE WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU CALL YOURSELF A PROPER PROFESSOR!!! HAVE YOU NO SENSE OF FAIRNESS AT ALL? RIPPING YOUR STUDENT'S CONFIDENCES TO PIECES! YOUR OWN NIECE!!"  
  
Hermione screwed her eyes shut as it screamed at her for several minutes, blowing her curls away from her face, telling her about family loyalty, proper teaching methods and lasting psychological impacts..  
  
When the Howler exploded into scraps of paper all over Hermione's plate, Remus pulled his fingers from his ears and picked up his coffee mug, feigning normalcy. Every last student was staring at the staff table with their mouths wide open. Especially Chloe and Meghan. Remus could see that it was rather a mixture between horror and delight.  
  
Hermione's face matched the Gryffindor banner in color and she was gaping like a fish. Everyone else seemed too frightened to move or make a sound.  
  
"Pie, Professor?" Snape said dryly.  
  
"Pie?" Hermione asked in her stupor.  
  
"Humble pie, Professor Granger," Snape replied with a smirk.  
  
~*~  
  
Ron scratched his side and yawned hugely. "Have you finished yet, Laura?" He turned the page of Quidditch Today and glanced at her morning project.  
  
Laura handed her crayon drawing to Ron and pointed to the formation she had built out of her blocks. "Does it look like my drawing, Daddy?"  
  
Ron looked at the drawing and sat up on the couch. The drawing was very good. It looked like some sort of bridge with arches and jutting things and Laura's block formation looked like a much larger-scale model of it. She had taken up almost all the living room again. Crookshanks was ambling around it, sniffing it suspiciously. "Yes, very nice, Laura. Very nice."  
  
Laura took her crayon blueprint back. "It's an aqueduct."  
  
Ron hadn't the slightest idea what an aqueduct was, so he merely nodded at her. "And.a very nice one," he told her enthusiastically as he could.  
  
Laura smiled coyly from under her strawberry blonde curls. "Do you suppose we could play with my dolls?"  
  
Ron grinned. Hermione really frowned on Laura playing with dolls. She said they were too gender-specific and Laura would be more well-rounded if she played with toys that stimulated her intellectually and challenged her imagination. So, Ron and Laura dragged out the box of dolls that the Grangers and others sent Laura on a regular basis and made long afternoons of it. Ron was pretty good at it in all honesty. He had been Ginny's favorite brother after all.  
  
"Go on then," he told her. She ran off to go retrieve the box from under the bed in the guest bedroom.  
  
Minutes later, Laura was pulling the lid off the box and sorting her dolls in piles.  
  
"And what do we tell Mummy when she gets home, Laura?" Ron prompted her, while looking at the contents of the box.  
  
"We did nothing to reinforce gender roles," Laura recited, happily putting a Quidditch cape on one of the dolls. Ron thought it looked suspiciously like Harry.  
  
"The other saying, Laura. Not the one Mummy says to you."  
  
"Oh. We did not play with dolls."  
  
"Try that one again."  
  
Laura didn't skip a beat. "We played with toys that allowed us to learn and expand our potential."  
  
Ron closed his eyes briefly and sighed. "I wonder if Dad has that old Muggle television around."  
  
"Daddy, what were you and Mummy like at school?" Laura asked suddenly. "Were you friends?"  
  
Ron kept a straight face. That was a dangerous question. Of course, he was being asked it first.this was definitely to his advantage. "Well, yes. But sometimes it was a bit hard for Uncle Harry and me to be her friend."  
  
Laura set her doll down and furrowed her brow. "Why, Daddy?"  
  
Ron smiled happily to himself. "The truth is, Laura, your mummy was a really terrible girl."  
  
Laura's jaw visibly dropped. "My mummy?"  
  
"Your mummy. She really kept Uncle Harry and me on our toes," Ron confirmed.  
  
Laura appeared to be in some form of shock, as she was quiet for a good five minutes, and played with her dolls. Obviously she was giving this new idea some serious contemplation. Finally, she looked up. "What did she do?"  
  
Ron couldn't have been more prepared to answer her question than if he had he'd had a parchment with a nice long list. "She actually set a teacher she didn't like on fire."  
  
Laura gasped. "Daddy! Why didn't you tell her it was wrong?"  
  
"We would have, but we were a bit frightened to confront her, Laura. She actually hexed one of our classmates into a full body-bind."  
  
Laura's jaw dropped. "Daddy, you're lying! Mummy wouldn't do that!"  
  
Ron shook his head sadly, as if his wife was a lost cause. "She also hexed the same teacher she set on fire. That was our third year."  
  
"I'm going to ask her," Laura said indignantly.  
  
Ron was thrilled. "I hope you ask her. Be sure and make sure you tell her that you want the absolute truth."  
  
"Did she do anything else?"  
  
Ron began ticking items off on his fingers. "She brewed an illegal potion in the girl's loo our second year. Also, I can remember a few times that she stole supplies from the Potions master. And.oh yes, she had Uncle Harry's brand new broomstick confiscated."  
  
He was just about to tell her the time when Hermione tricked Professor Lockhart into allowing her permission to the Restricted Section when an owl swooped in the window. He perched himself directly on top of Laura's aqueduct after dropping his parcel on the rug.  
  
Ron recognized the owl as his parents. "Go get Cornelius an owl treat out of the kitchen," he told Laura.  
  
Cornelius ruffled his feathers and walked his funny owl walk along the blocks. If Ron didn't know better, it would seem that the owl was inspecting the thing.  
  
Ron shook his head at Cornelius and shrugged. "Heck if I know what it does. Ask my five-year old." He pulled the top off the parcel and was rewarded with the delicious scent of chocolate chip biscuits. Excellent! But.he hadn't done anything to deserve random baked goods. But of course they weren't for him, Ron discovered dejectedly finding a note in his mother's neat handwriting-  
  
For Laura.  
  
He was just about to carry the box with him into the kitchen, when he noticed the small puffs of smoke coming from the bottom corners of the box. The smoke wisps curled around his fingers and Ron dropped the box on the floor like a lead weight.  
  
He pulled up the bag of biscuits and tossed them aside.  
  
"What?!" Ron hissed.  
  
Smoking steadily at the bottom of the box was a perfectly innocent looking red envelope with "For Ronald" written nicely on it.  
  
Ron snatched up the Howler and made a mad, scrambling dash for the kitchen, nearly toppling over a glass vase filled with orange roses, Hermione's favorite. He fell over his own shoes instead, and slammed into the swinging kitchen door, landing half on the kitchen tile, half on the living room rug.  
  
Laura, who had been standing delicately on her tiptoes to reach Cornelius' owl treat, turned and surveyed her father with a perfectly calm expression, not seeming to notice he was sprawled across the floor. "I don't need any help, Daddy," she informed him. "You didn't have to run. Mummy hates when we run in the house."  
  
"Laura," Ron gasped, trying to regain the wind that had been knocked out of him. "Go. Go out of the kitchen this instant!"  
  
Laura obeyed without question and politely stepped over him, even adding the necessary, "Excuse me."  
  
Ron hoisted himself back up with a groan and tore around the kitchen, smoking letter in hand. His eyes lit upon the partially open window. He could throw it out the window! Wait. No. Bloody hell. The neighbors would not be thrilled with that. The Parkers were not speaking to them again. Fred and George had thrown magic beans in Ron's yard in retaliation of him telling Percy that their Magical Safety Commission permit was several years overdue. The result was a livid Percy slapping a fine on the shop and M.S.C. inspectors slapping a lot of "Cease and Disenchant" stickers on quite a bit of Wheezes merchandise. The magic beans resulted in several beanstalks erupting out of the ground and blowing the privacy fence to bits. Old Mr. Parker had not accepted Ron's explanation as a "slight weeding problem."  
  
Ron was startled out of his thoughts when the letter began to quiver in his hand. Gritting his teeth, he threw open the pantry door, threw the Howler in and slammed it shut behind him, covering his ears. A few minutes later, he unclamped his hands from his ears, very confused.  
  
Silence.  
  
Ron cautiously opened one eye and peeped at the pantry door. There wasn't any smoke pouring from the cracks. Had he imagined the letter was a Howler? He opened the other eye and cocked his head. Nothing. He took a tentative step towards the pantry and then stepped back.  
  
Oh, this was ridiculous. Ron lifted his eyes to the ceiling and reminded himself that he was thirty years old and far past being frightened by every little letter his mother sent to him. He must be losing it. Ron briefly thought of reasons why Hermione could have accelerated the loss of his sanity and decided to bring this up to her later. He grinned. What pleasant dinner conversation.  
  
He cautiously pressed his ear against the pantry door and chuckled out loud to himself. He was turning paranoid and crazy. His mother had no reason to send a Howler.  
  
Ron was about to turn the handle of the pantry door when he heard the sharp CRACK from inside it. It was a good thing he threw himself on the floor and covered his head with his arms.  
  
It was the worst Howler he had ever received. The screams were so loud that they made his bones shudder. The screams were accompanied by deafening slams of metal on the kitchen floor, as the noise was shaking the pots off the pot rack. Ron was nearly ready to pull pulling out clumps of his hair when the Howler stopped and a low exploding sound rattled the pantry door violently.  
  
Poor Ron could do nothing but lie panting on the kitchen floor, trying to wrap his brain around what he just partly heard. Something about his mother screaming about his wife who was screaming at his niece for some mark and then some more.well.screaming.  
  
And wait just a darn minute.  
  
He had been blamed!? He could certainly make enough trouble without getting into it with what Hermione did!  
  
Laura entered the kitchen and glanced at the scene. As usual, it looked as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth and she began collecting pots. "Daddy," she told him, and Ron could dimly hear her through the loud ringing in his ears. "Daddy, the pantry is smoking."  
  
Ron sat up and looked over at the pantry. Black smoke was streaming out the cracks. Ron yelped and threw the pantry open. The Howler's explosion had caught something on fire. He dashed to the sink and began filling one of the pots on the ground. He threw the water on the fire and stomped on the flames with his boots and beat the flames on the higher shelves with his robe sleeves.  
  
"Daddy," Laura spoke up. "Daddy, your hair is on fire now." She frowned at him and then promptly left the kitchen.  
  
Ron doused his head in the sink and began to frantically fill up more pots. "Bloody hell!" he swore loudly. "Of course the bloody house would bloody burn to a crisp because of a bloody-Laura get out of the kitchen!"  
  
Laura gave Ron a very dry offended look and lifted his wand toward him. "Daddy, are you a wizard or not?"  
  
Ron's mouth dropped. "My wand." he said accepting it dumbly. "Thank you, Laura."  
  
"Aqueous," Laura prompted him, apparently taking his thanks as an apology. "I remember that one."  
  
"AQUEOUS!" Ron bellowed, pointing his wand at the fire.  
  
Laura nodded her approval when the fire hissed and extinguished. "That was quite good, Daddy."  
  
Ron tried to save face. "Uh, yes. It's just a matter of.er, flick and swish! Er, swish and flick, rather. Yes, always remember swish and flick, Laura."  
  
Hermione chose that opportune moment to Apparate into the kitchen.  
  
"Mummy!" Laura cried, running to her.  
  
Hermione kissed the top of her daughter's head. "We'll visit in a bit, I have to discuss something with your father."  
  
Laura sighed heavily and left the kitchen.  
  
Hermione was breathing very heavily and her hair was mussed. "Your.your mother!" She pointed her finger at Ron's chest. "Do you know what she did!?"  
  
Ron's jaw dropped and pointed right back at her. "MY mother?! No, Hermione.do you know what YOU did?"  
  
"I WAS SENT A HOWLER IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL!" Hermione shouted. "BECAUSE YOUR MOTHER SAW IT FIT TO HUMILIATE ME! THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!"  
  
"My MOTHER was giving you a taste of your own MEDICINE!" Ron shouted back. "And I was dragged into the bloody fight too, because I just got screamed at for something YOU did to Chloe!"  
  
"So she expects me to change how I grade my students for CHLOE?!" Hermione shrieked. "This is outrageous! I have been teaching for over a DECADE!"  
  
Ron held up his palms and backed away. "I didn't hear the story! I just got bits and pieces of it SCREAMED at me!"  
  
Hermione's nostrils flared. "There's no reason for your mother to jump to conclusions!"  
  
"Then you're saying that you don't think you did one thing wrong!"  
  
"I didn't say that, Ron!" Hermione objected.  
  
"You could have handled the situation differently!"  
  
"She wrote to Molly on purpose!"  
  
"You're the big person!" Ron said throwing his arms out for emphasis. "Admit you could have handled the situation better!"  
  
"And I suppose you think that being a teacher is really that easy. Especially a teacher to your own relatives," Hermione snapped.  
  
"I'm not saying that! And just wait a minute!" Ron crossed his arms. "I'm getting yelled at for something I didn't have any part in. Let's all just yell at RON!"  
  
Hermione closed her eyes briefly and calmly reassured herself. "This is entirely out of hand. Chloe is not devious. She merely exaggerated to your mother and I'm going to have a long talk with her and mail a letter to Ginny."  
  
"Finally," Ron huffed, "just do something."  
  
~*~  
  
Chloe's eyelids drooped heavily and she gazed sleepily between her four- poster curtains to the milky moonbeams illuminating the window facing the courtyard. Meghan was breathing steadily to her right and there wasn't any sound except for the soft night breeze, whistling against the windowpanes of Gryffindor Tower.  
  
Chloe closed her eyes and swallowed hard. That noise reminded her of something. The sound of a place in her memory. It was cold and dark, and the draft felt like the breath of a monster there.. Why was she remembering this now?  
  
"Get a bad grade?"  
  
Chloe took a sharp breath and opened her eyes. Why was she worried about what Aidan Malfoy had said to her?  
  
"Get a bad grade?"  
  
There it was again. Chloe forced herself to breathe slowly. She was being stupid.  
  
The moonbeams streaming into the window looked like long pale fingers. Pale fingers reaching out to snatch her. His voice.Aidan's voice. It wouldn't stay out.  
  
"Get a bad grade?"  
  
Chloe's teeth began to chatter and a vivid scene exploded in her memory.  
  
"No, Aidan, I haven't decided when I'm going to kill her yet."  
  
"I don't want a Mudblood in my house."  
  
Chloe pulled her blankets over her tightly, reminding herself desperately that she was being silly. She was imagining things. Nothing could happen to her now. That was a long time ago.  
  
"I don't want a Mudblood in my house."  
  
Chloe felt a tear leak out the corner of her eye.  
  
"I don't want a Mudblood in my house."  
  
His house. Aidan's house. Gryffindor. Their house. Chloe clutched her blankets even more tightly.  
  
"Not tonight, Mudblood. We have tomorrow, or maybe I'll just come in the middle of the night. Come, Aidan. You may help me decide what we shall do to her."  
  
Chloe gave a short choking sob. Aidan Malfoy. He was only a staircase away. He wanted her dead. His voice. He looked just like his father. That man. That horrible man.she would have died.he was going to kill her.Aidan was going to help him decide. Aidan looked just like him. Aidan sounded like him. Aidan.Aidan.  
  
"What is that thing? It looks dirty."  
  
Chloe glanced over at the moonlight, and there, pale as death, stood Aidan Malfoy, staring at her stonily.  
  
"What is that thing? It looks dirty."  
  
Then he reached one of his pale hands towards her throat.  
  
"I don't want a Mudblood in my house."  
  
~*~  
  
Meghan was shaking Chloe violently by the shoulders, sitting on her to avoid being kicked.  
  
"Chloe!" Meghan shrieked. "Wake up! Wake up!"  
  
The other girls were huddled together, watching the scene with obvious terror and confusion.  
  
Chloe screamed and shook Meghan also, clutching the front of her pajamas. "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I HATE YOU! I WON'T LET YOU KILL ME!"  
  
"Would you get me some water?!" Meghan shouted angrily behind her.  
  
Posy snatched the glass off of her bed table and handed it to Meghan, who splashed Chloe in the face and slapped her across the cheek.  
  
"WAKE UP!" Meghan cried, shaking her cousin more. "PLEASE!"  
  
Chloe's eyes opened and focused on Meghan. She slumped against Meghan, sobbing loudly. "Meghan! Meghan.he's going to kill me! I'm having the dreams again!" she cried hysterically. "Why?" Chloe wailed. "Meghan, I'm having the dreams again!"  
  
Meghan hugged Chloe tightly, getting her pajamas soaked too.  
  
"This doesn't ever leave this room," Meghan said harshly, in-between Chloe's sobs. "Ever."  
  
The other Gryffindor girls nodded mutely. ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Chapter title is courtesy of one Miss Lone Astronomer/Kait/Empress of Angst and Charlie.  
  
Any owls with any likeness to any people I know is strictly a coincidence. The name is a coincidence too. I have no idea what anyone is talking about.  
  
Special thanks go to the following people:  
  
Chloe's Bookshelf Moderators: I love you all. Dearly. I promise.  
  
Queens Anne and Amy for betaing. You are the greatest.  
  
Jilly: for going to go see CoS with me and listening to me lament about this chapter.  
  
Michael: for delaying this chapter several times and reminding me whilst delaying it that I am a good writer. (Sic him, reviewers. I dare you.)  
  
Reviewers: Thanks for your comments and speculations! They help push me to write more!  
  
The Aidan and Draco quotes came from Lessons for Life-Chapter 12 and Letters from Home-Chapter 8. (Wow, that feels odd citing myself)  
  
"Have you hugged your stuffed dragon today?" Join Chloe's Bookshelf 


	10. The plot thickens

Dear Ginny,Chapter Ten- And the plot thickens…  
  
~*~  
  
Dear Ginny,   
  
You might want to mind your post for a few days. Molly is apparently on a bit of   
a... task undertaking mission to set things just right for her grandchildren.   
  
You won't believe this, but Sunday, she owled me a Howler regarding Chloe. I was   
quite shocked, as you can imagine. I suspect Chloe wrote to her purposely,   
because we had a slight misunderstanding about an essay. Chloe is very well   
behaved otherwise, and really I think a little talk with her parents would bring   
so much closure to this. It would be nice to know that I don't have to fear any   
more incidents at breakfast. I'm sure it would ease the digestion of the staff   
at the very least, not to mention prevent both Ron and the kitchen from catching   
fire again.   
  
How are Harry and James? Penelope told me that you have a dog now. I was   
shocked! Harry loathes dogs! I'm very curious as to how you persuaded him,   
although I'm sure you didn't have any trouble. You always did have a knack for   
getting Harry to do what you want!  
  
Laura and Ron are doing well, and Laura really seems to love nursery school. I   
know nursery school will benefit her social skills enormously and I'm so glad   
you're her teacher. I found a very interesting way of incorporating foreign   
languages into her extra work she does at home. Perhaps you can take a look at   
the packet one weekend. I'm sure quite a few parents would be thrilled if their   
children started learning French and German.  
  
See you soon!  
  
Love,   
  
Hermione  
  
~*~  
  
Harry didn't really care for visits to the Muggle world. The last big visit was   
to bring Chloe to live with him. And Harry didn't like to think about that….   
  
Chloe was his. If Dudley only knew what he was missing. Chloe never mentioned   
the Muggle world and her life before she came to live with him. Granted, she had   
only been five, but Harry was certain that Chloe wanted to pretend like he   
did…that she had been his daughter all along. Just like he used to pretend when   
he was eleven that he had been part of the wizarding world all along.   
  
He strolled along the street, carrying his parcel, and ignoring the loud morning   
traffic and the countless drably dressed Muggles doing double takes.   
  
"Harry! What do you think you're doing?"   
  
Harry squinted against the morning sun and looked for the source of the voice.   
His eyes lit upon a familiar face, but the entire picture didn't seem to click   
as someone he actually knew.   
  
Katie Bell, no, Katherine Linter, was glaring at him. She looked just like one   
of them. Harry had seen plenty of wizards in Muggle clothing before, but there   
had always been something that set them apart from the Muggles...   
  
"Meeting you for breakfast," Harry answered, feeling a bit awkward.   
  
"You're wearing robes!" Katie exclaimed in a loud whisper as she took him by the   
elbow, like a disobedient three-year old. "Why not just start casting spells?"   
  
She pulled them into a small doughnut shop and looked at his clothes again.  
  
"Hello," Harry said sarcastically. "Good to see you after what, a decade?"   
  
"I'll get us some coffee and doughnuts," Katie replied.  
  
Harry took a seat in an orange plastic booth and played idly with the sugar   
packets. He could tell that this wasn't going to go well.   
  
Katie returned with the coffee and doughnuts. The definite appraising look at   
his robes still remained.   
  
"Ginny doesn't like them much either," Harry remarked with a small smile. "I   
think I'm the only one that doesn't see anything wrong with them."   
  
Katie looked past him and sipped her coffee. "Ginny?"   
  
"Ginny Weasley. My wife. Surely you remember her…."   
  
"Ginny Weasley?" Katie said, furrowing her brow. "I remember her... but I   
thought she married Neville Longbottom."  
  
"Neville died," Harry replied quietly. ''Ginny married me about six years ago."  
  
Katie appeared to be doing some arithmetic in her head. "But if your daughter is   
Finn's age...then she's Neville's?"   
  
"No," Harry shook his head. "She's actually my adopted daughter. Ginny and I   
have a son, and he'll be five in December." He pulled a handful of photographs   
out of the inside of his robes.  
  
Katie glanced down at a photograph of a much younger Chloe posing giddily with a   
handful of Auror officers, wearing bits of their uniforms. ''That's your   
daughter?"   
  
"Yes, that's Chloe Grace."   
  
Katie pushed the photographs back towards him as if they were going to bite her   
fingers. "She looks very charming."   
  
"Ginny put together a gift for you," Harry said in the painful silence that   
followed. He put the parcel he had been carrying on the table. "A wizarding care   
package, if you will."   
  
"What is it?" Katie didn't make a motion to take it.  
  
"Quidditch Magazines, teas, and I think my son made her add some Chocolate   
Frogs," Harry listed, feeling like he was talking to himself.  
  
Katie glanced at her watch and smiled thinly. ''Tell Ginny thank you for her   
unnecessary trouble.''   
  
Harry wasn't going to give up. "Katie, let's just be straightforward. I don't   
understand why you've exiled yourself from the wizarding world."  
  
"Shhh!" Katie said angrily. She glanced around nervously.   
  
"I cast a silencing charm over the table," Harry replied impatiently. "You   
remember, spells, magic?"   
  
"Why are you so desperate to know why I don't choose to live in the wizarding   
world?" Katie snapped.  
  
"Because you used to be my friend," Harry answered. "My teammate. Something   
happened to you and I want to help."   
  
"Did it ever occur to you that it's none of your concern? My only concern in   
life is my son. He goes to school in the wizarding world, so you shouldn't be   
hassling me about anything," Katie replied hotly.   
  
Harry shook his head. "You aren't the same person at all."   
  
Katie looked at him bitterly. "You wouldn't be the same if you came home to find   
your husband, killed at the hands of your own kind. Don't sit here and lecture   
me, Harry."   
  
"What happened?" He pushed the conversation forward gently.   
  
"He was tortured and murdered," she said, her voice sounding like ice. "He was a   
Muggle. I introduced him to the wizarding world and told him everything about   
me…and he accepted it all. He embraced a completely new culture even when I   
could have easily lived with him in the Muggle world. And they killed him.  
  
"They left me a threat," Katie continued in a slow precise voice, "promising   
they would come back for me and my child."  
  
"I'm so sorry,'' he said quietly.  
  
"Are you? You've never come home with your two-year old sleeping on your   
shoulder, to discover his father murdered," Katie spat. "Now do you really think   
I'm going to stay in the wizarding world and wait for them to come kill us?"   
  
"I was in the war," Harry said softly. "I saw lots of terrible things."   
  
"Yes," Katie answered dryly. "The Aurors. They didn't know how to control the   
Death Eaters…. You ran around with your wands and hoped you could come across   
them before you saw the Dark Mark."   
  
"Voldemort is dead," Harry said steadily. "That was a dark time for everyone."   
  
"Finn is only going to Hogwarts because You-Know-Who is dead," Katie snapped.   
"He would never have found out about anything if I hadn't decided to let him try   
magic."   
  
"Why are you letting him try magic?" Harry asked carefully. "Why educate him to   
be a wizard when you've exiled yourself from magic?"   
  
"Your daughter hasn't told you anything about my son," Katie replied.   
  
"She has," Harry corrected her. "He sounds very nice."   
  
"Finnigan is the most unselfish creature on this earth,'' she said staring at   
the tabletop, "just like his father. He works hard and he's clever but he...he   
just never seemed to find his niche in the Muggle world. Finn would be happy   
anywhere you put him and he would worry about you before himself."   
  
"Katie, he belongs in the wizarding world and so do you."   
  
Katie snapped her gaze up and glared at him. "If you'd like to pry, Finnigan   
hasn't shown any different behavior or talents in the wizarding world than he   
has in the Muggle world. He seems to be having a difficult time focusing his   
magic."   
  
''Some children take longer to learn how to control their magical abilities,''   
Harry argued. ''You know that.''  
  
"There's no need for him to be in any danger," Katie said sharply. "If he   
doesn't display magical potential soon, I'm going to bring him back home.''  
  
"That isn't right!'' Harry exclaimed. '' You're taking a rare gift away from   
your son!"  
  
"Rather like how the Death Eaters took Jack from me?"  
  
"Katie, you can't do this to Finn...it isn't fair to him!"  
  
"Who do you think you are? I am not going to sit here and listen to you tell me   
that I have done a completely terrible job raising my child!"  
  
"Katie, come stay with my family at Havenwood," Harry offered. "Just for a few   
days…."   
  
Katie reached furiously for her jacket. "Harry, take your charity back to the   
wizarding world and keep your nose in your own bloody business. The subject is   
closed."  
  
"Kati--Katherine," Harry groaned in frustration. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to   
offend you, but please...just..."  
  
Katie finished collecting her belongings and sighed heavily. ''Harry, I know you   
mean well, but I've made my decision.''  
  
~*~  
  
Harry was very much looking forward to going upstairs, switching on his Wireless   
and taking in the very first Quidditch scrimmage of the season. He had been   
anticipating the season for quite a while now. He had season tickets as usual,   
although James probably wouldn't be quite as enthusiastic as Chloe. Harry knew   
it was going to be a real wrench going to a game without Chloe. He doubted James   
or Ginny would scream hysterically at the exciting parts. James would rather   
play with the snacks they purchased him and he didn't quite understand the whole   
concept of the game. Ginny was great friends with the other wives in the box and   
preferred to chat with them rather than shake her fist at the referee with Harry   
and Chloe.   
  
He had just swiped the bag of pretzels out of the pantry when the click-click of   
puppy toenails on the tile alerted him that Shoebox was scurrying quickly into   
the kitchen.   
  
"G'way," Harry mumbled, not bothering to pull his head out of the pantry. "I'm   
not going to feed you. Talk to your mistress about that."   
  
The scuttling toenail noise continued and Harry rolled his eyes. Pathetic. Of   
course, anything with legs the size of cocktail sausages would take two hours to   
run across the kitchen floor.   
  
Then there was a considerably loud thump.  
  
"Stupid," Harry said shaking his head and closing the pantry door. He looked   
down at the puppy, who was panting happily. "You're supposed to stop."  
  
He sorted through the post on the kitchen counter with one hand and weeded out   
the ones that looked like bills. Harry smiled when he came across a parchment   
with the Hogwarts seal and he ripped it open.   
  
Dear Ginny,   
  
You might want to mind your post for a few days….   
  
Harry stopped and looked at the signature. Not a letter from Chloe. Hermione.   
And only to Ginny?   
  
He would have set the letter back on the counter, minded his own business, and   
went upstairs to his Quidditch scrimmage if he hadn't seen Chloe's name in the   
letter. Harry set the bag of pretzels on the counter and skimmed it quickly.   
  
Minor tiff? Ron catching on fire? Suspect Chloe wrote to Molly on purpose?   
  
Harry rubbed the side of his forehead thoughtfully. What was Hermione talking   
about? Also, what was Hermione leaving out? Harry's eyebrows lifted into his   
hair and he snorted loudly as he came across a specific paragraph.   
  
"Listen to this," he said making a face at Shoebox. "Penelope told me that you   
have a dog now. I was shocked! Harry loathes dogs! I'm very curious as to how   
you persuaded him, although I'm sure you didn't have any trouble. You always did   
have a knack for getting Harry to do what you want!"   
  
Shoebox stared at Harry with a good-natured blank expression and panted some   
more.   
  
Harry nodded at his confidant. "Too right she is, I do loathe dogs. Especially   
stupid ones."   
  
Shoebox whined briefly and stared hard at the pretzel bag.   
  
"Exactly," Harry nodded at him, chewing on a pretzel. "I think Hermione only   
sent this to Ginny because she thinks that I'll be too easy on Chloe. I wonder   
if we should get this story from Chloe too…."   
  
Shoebox barked at the pretzel bag.   
  
"I think we should get rid of the evidence too," Harry said with a cheeky grin.   
He balled the letter up and lobbed it into the fireplace. "Incendio!"   
  
He watched the parchment catch fire and become part of the ashes. This should be   
interesting. He grabbed his pretzels and smiled as he walked out of the kitchen.   
He had a Quidditch scrimmage to listen to and a letter to write to his daughter.   
  
  
Shoebox yapped behind him and Harry tossed a pretzel over his shoulder before he   
went upstairs.   
  
~*~  
  
That evening, Harry knocked off the crumbs on the front of James' robes and the   
dirt off the back. He straightened the collar and hurriedly buttoned the top of   
his robes James made an ugly face at him when he tried to rub the dirt off his   
cheek.   
  
"Going to spit on your handkerchief and clean his face?" Sirius teased, while   
observing this.   
  
Harry ignored him and tried to knock off more dirt. "What did you do? Roll in   
the dirt?"  
  
James was extremely proud of himself. "Shoebox did! I wanted to too."   
  
"Excellent reason to," Sirius grinned. "Good job, Jamesy."   
  
"That's why he smells!" Harry groaned, glancing at the pet carrier and making a   
face.   
  
"He smells like a puppy," James beamed at Sirius. "Mummy said so!"   
  
"He smells like a dog," Harry replied. He pulled out his wand and tapped it on   
James' robes. "Lavo."  
  
Sirius peered inside the pet carrier and smiled wickedly. "Don't worry, Shoebox   
old boy. I won't tell him what you think he smells like." Shoebox wriggled and   
whined and tried to lick Sirius' finger through the bars.   
  
"I wasn't referring to you, Sirius." Harry straightened up and tried to smooth   
James' hair down. "I never said I didn't like all dogs."  
  
"Sure you did," Sirius rapped firmly on the wooden door and smiled a very   
satisfied smirk. "I had a talk with Ginny. Now what was it…."   
  
"She was exaggerating," Harry put in quickly. "I like dogs."   
  
"Oh, yes…I remember. Slobbery yappy little scraps of fur, was it?"   
  
"Shoebox loves you even though you hate his guts," James told him.   
  
Sirius lowered his voice and nodded at James. "Your daddy has deeply imbedded   
psychological issues from his childhood. That very often skews his perception of   
selfless love directed towards him. Sometimes this causes him to confuse his own   
feelings for those of hatred and malice rather than the true gentility you and I   
know him capable of."   
  
James scratched his head, messing up his hair again. "He yells at the Quidditch   
players at the game, too. Does that make him siconlomical?"   
  
"Precisely," Sirius replied. "You're a very clever boy." He opened the pet   
carrier and handed the squiggling puppy to Jamesy.  
  
Before Harry could even begin to work out what Sirius had said and protest it,   
the door opened and Dumbledore's housekeeper smiled warmly at them. "Mr. Black,   
Mr. Potter, how very nice of you to visit. The professor said we'd be expecting   
you today, and well, he's never wrong."   
  
Harry was trying to quickly remember her name, but Sirus beat him to the punch.   
"And how very nice to see you, Elizabeth. Tell me, are you still married to that   
Lex chap, or has my luck finally changed?"   
  
Oh brother. Sirius was really turning on the charm for her. All he needed was   
for Jamesy to start learning all that.   
  
"Still married, Mr. Black," she smiled, letting them inside.   
  
"Hi," James said looking up at her through his mussed hair. "I like your shoes.   
They are pretty."   
  
Elizabeth was delighted. "Hello, darling! I'll bet the cook can find some sweets   
in the kitchen for you and some biscuits for your little puppy. Would you like   
that?"   
  
"Way to go!" Sirius cheered in an undertone to James and rumpled his hair.   
  
"Can I go, Daddy?" James begged. "Shoebox too?"  
  
Harry nodded. "That's fine. Please mind your manners."   
  
"Professor Dumbledore is upstairs in his study," Elizabeth told them, putting   
her hand on James' shoulder. "I'll be up shortly to bring the tea."   
  
Sirius nodded. "We'll show ourselves up then. Thanks."   
  
"I've never been here to this house before," James was telling Elizabeth as they   
walked off. "My daddy never told me that they gave out sweets here. Does the   
cook live in the kitchen? Our house elves live in the kitchen. I think they live   
in the big soup pots. I'm supposed to mind my manners, so maybe you could ask."  
  
"James!" Harry chided in a loud whisper.   
  
"My sister knows 'bout this place. She never said anything 'bout sweets, either.   
Do you know her? This is my very first visit to here. I know Daddy's friend   
though. He came to my house I think. We have sweets there, but Mummy doesn't   
offer them right when I walk in the door," James chattered.   
  
Harry sighed as they headed up the stairs. "He should be a commentator when he   
grows up. Of anything."   
  
Sirius grinned good-naturedly. "He's a good boy."   
  
From numerous other visits, Harry knew exactly where Dumbledore's study was. He   
rapped gently on the door, and it creaked partly open by itself.   
  
Harry peered in. The curtains were drawn and the room was very dim except for   
the light coming from the hearth. "Professor?"  
  
There was no answer and Sirius shrugged at him before pushing the door open all   
the way and entering.   
  
Harry followed and he and Sirius found Dumbledore sitting in a chair with a book   
in his lap, asleep.  
  
"We should probably leave," Harry muttered to Sirius.   
  
"No need to leave, gentlemen. I was merely resting my eyes and thinking."  
  
Dumbledore opened his eyes and slowly closed his book. "Sit down, sit down." The   
old Headmaster raised a weathered hand and smiled at them. A few lights   
flickered to life.  
  
"Nice to see you, Headmaster," Sirius said shaking his hand. "Harry brought me   
along to watch Jamesy, but your housekeeper seemed to want to take over."   
  
"Headmaster," Dumbledore repeated, smiling. "I retired from that office a   
several years ago, Sirius, surely someone told you?"   
  
"I heard," Sirius replied, with a wicked gleam to his eye. "But, I'm still not   
convinced you left the school in the hands of a tyrant."   
  
"Don't be so hard on the deputy headmistress, Sirius, I think she's doing a fine   
job," Dumbledore replied with a twinkle in his eye. "Severus manages her as well   
as he can."   
  
Harry laughed, and he and Sirius took seats by the hearth.   
  
"I've come for a bit of advice," Harry sighed.   
  
Dumbledore closed his eyes and nodded. "Troubles, Harry?"   
  
Harry told him all about this morning's encounter with Katie Bell and what he   
had read in the Ministry file.   
  
"So," he sighed. "I'm quite concerned about this. Especially since she wants to   
take her son out of Hogwarts because she thinks he's in danger. I think she   
needs my help."   
  
"Time, Harry. Years of pain and loss cannot be corrected in a day."   
  
"She won't even recognize she was once a part of the wizarding world," Harry   
added. "I was hoping I could get her to stay with us for awhile at Havenwood."   
  
"Perhaps," Dumbledore said with a sympathetic smile, "you need to find a   
different approach. Katie would have to confront her emotions about her   
husband's death again when she came back. That would be very painful, and I   
imagine she's reluctant to do such a thing."   
  
"Let things run their course," Sirius grinned. "I could have told you that,   
Harry."   
  
They discussed the problem a bit longer, until James scampered into the room,   
his pockets all stuffed with candies and biscuits and Shoebox bouncing along in   
the crook of his arm. Elizabeth followed him with a tea service.   
  
"Jamesy," Harry said, clearing his throat. "This isn't our house…remember what   
Mum said about running."   
  
"Sorry, Daddy," James said apologetically. He spotted Dumbledore in his chair   
and walked over, almost tiptoeing, obviously to appease Harry.   
  
"Hello, Albus Dumbledore," James said solemnly looking at Dumbledore. "I've got   
your name. I bet my Daddy told you. When I was a baby, he and Mummy named me   
James Albus Potter. The Albus is the part that you have too. I like my name   
lots. My sister is Chloe Grace Potter and she calls me Jamesy."   
  
Harry winced when James shoved Shoebox under Dumbledore's nose. "This is my   
dog," James said proudly. "His name is Shoebox Dolphin Potter."   
  
Shoebox licked Dumbledore's nose and Harry made a motion to snatch the dog up,   
but Dumbledore took the puppy from James and smiled at it. "A very fine specimen   
of canine, James Albus Potter."  
  
Harry was amazed, a few years actually seemed to vanish from Dumbledore's face   
as he stroked Shoebox and talked to James.   
  
"He barfed up newspaper today all over the rug," James continued, as Shoebox   
squirmed in Dumbledore's grasp and licked his face. "It was the sports part."  
  
Sirius turned away and hid a loud laugh into a cough.  
  
"He must have been reading about the Puddlemere United game," Dumbledore said   
with a wink for Jamesy.   
  
"Are you a million years old?" James asked Dumbledore curiously. "Paddy says   
he's a thousand."   
  
Harry merely shook his head and settled back into his chair, giving up.   
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "Would you like to talk about it over a cup of hot   
chocolate, James Albus Potter?"   
  
Jamesy nodded happily. "I bet you know lots of stuff."   
  
~*~  
  
"Ooh,'' Meghan said happily as she shoved Monster further down into her book   
bag. ''We're late for Defense Against the Dark Arts. This time we're going to be   
the ones causing that weird ticking thing that his mouth does."   
  
"Is she excited?" Finn gaped, hurrying to catch up with Chloe. "He's going to   
deduct house points and...."  
  
"It won't be that bad," Chloe interrupted. "My dad said that his class once saw   
him wearing an old lady dress with a vulture hat. They didn't die."  
  
"I wasn't talking about dying!"   
  
"At least it's not the Astronomy professor," Chloe told him. "I heard she   
chucked a boy off of the tower when he accidentally backed into one of the   
telescopes and knocked it over the side."   
  
"You know," Finn panted, following Meghan's bouncing curls as they thundered   
down a staircase. "They never tell you any of this in the acceptance letter."  
  
"You worry too much," Meghan said, jumping off the last step.   
  
"He's the Headmaster!"  
  
"We just have to look really apologetic," Chloe said. "Then he'll just take a   
few house points off."  
  
"I don't like this at all," Finn said when they reached the doorway.   
  
Meghan took a deep breath and concealed her smile. "Right, just don't look at   
his mouth...."  
  
Chloe put her back to the door to push it open, and put on an extremely   
exaggerated sorrowful look.   
  
Meghan turned away, trying to stifle her laughter. "Chloe! Don't do that!"   
  
The door creaked loudly as it opened and they crept in. Chloe took extra pains   
to hang her head and shuffle her feet slightly.   
  
Snape stopped whatever he had been saying in mid-sentence and their classmates   
stole glances back at the door.   
  
"Well, well, well," Snape said icily, "just in time for the roll call, I see."   
  
Chloe looked up from her shoes and tried her best to look more apologetic. Next   
to her, Meghan was absolutely failing at disguising her smile.  
  
"Front and center," Snape growled, viciously pointing in front of him. "All   
three of you."  
  
They trudged up to the front and Finn's cheeks were turning a deep red.   
  
"We're very sorry we're late, Headmaster," Chloe began, trying to look anywhere   
but Snape's mouth, which was indeed doing the odd ticking thing that Meg had   
mentioned.   
  
Snape held up his palm to silence her and glared at them. "Hold your tongue! I   
don't care why you are late, but you will never be late to my class again or you   
will not like the consequences!"  
  
Finn's face and neck were red to the tip of his ears. "We're sorry,   
Headmaster," he gulped.   
  
"Ten points from Gryffindor, "Mr. Bell. I told you to keep your silence."   
  
Finn winced and took a small step backwards.   
  
Chloe bit her lower lip and waited for Snape to dismiss them back to their   
seats. Of course, his mouth had to be doing that ticking thing, so Meghan was   
probably not going to be able to restrain herself much longer....  
  
"Miss Potter, wipe that idiotic look off your face. If you're going to insist on   
being in Gryffindor, act like one or I'll put you in Hufflepuff. Ten points from   
Gryffindor."   
  
Chloe pressed her lips together and accepted the insult with as much dignity as   
she could muster. She supposed she deserved it because she was late for class,   
but for goodness sakes, his mouth simply had to stop ticking....   
  
Sure enough, Meghan squeaked when Snape rounded on her and an unmistakable grin   
was plastered on her face. Chloe bit fiercely at the inside of her cheek.   
  
Headmaster. He's the Headmaster...don't look at his mouth. He's the Headmaster.   
  
"Twenty-five points from Gryffindor!" Snape roared at Meghan. "Does something   
seem funny to you? I'll have you cleaning this castle from the dungeon to the   
top of every last tower. Then we'll see if that smirk remains on your face along   
with all those freckles!"   
  
Snape sneered at Meghan viciously and luckily she was able to keep her wits   
about her and not giggle.   
  
"Get to your seats. You've interrupted my class long enough," Snape ordered.   
  
Chloe nearly sighed with relief and Finn looked as though he might pass out in   
front of the entire class. Meghan's eyes were shining due to the excitement and   
this made Chloe want to laugh at her.   
  
Chloe accidentally made eye contact with Aidan Malfoy, whom Finn always sat with   
and she was most irritated to see that he was smirking at her.   
  
She could have just ignored him, but a streak of spunk and sauciness took hold   
of her. He wanted to bother her? Well, she could play this game too.   
  
She smirked right back at him and then stuck out her tongue.   
  
"Tosser," she muttered under her breath as she passed.  
  
Aidan hadn't been expecting that and his mouth opened in surprise.  
  
Chloe took her seat feeling very accomplished. Defense against the Dark Arts,   
indeed. She wasn't afraid of Aidan. If he wanted to act spooky and mysterious,   
that was his problem. She took out her quill and parchment happily.   
  
"The lesson for today has much practical application in your life as an adult   
witch or wizard," Snape announced, drumming his fingertips on his crossed arms   
as he paced in front of them. "Sometimes it is necessary to hide information for   
safekeeping and in wartime, this can save your life."  
  
Chloe was intrigued. Perhaps this was going to be a lesson on how to make   
invisible ink.   
  
"He made fun of my freckles," Meghan whispered to her joyfully. "He's so weird,   
it's interesting."   
  
"We will not be studying invisible inks," Snape continued, "as it is readily   
available in any wizarding society and is easily removable with the purchase of   
a cheap Revealer."   
  
"Did you see Aidan Malfoy's face?" Chloe whispered back.   
  
"You can outwit your enemies by simply learning a few charms to turn your   
regular ink invisible. The charm renders a Revealer worthless, and can have many   
layers of complexity added to it."  
  
Meghan grinned. "I don't even think the prat realized he was making faces at   
us."  
  
"You can password a parchment to reveal its information with a correct spell or   
enchant it to withhold information until a correct written or spoken phrase is   
given. This is often the simple spell that many joke manufactures and amateur   
wizards use to get a cheap laugh, as they can enchant the parchment to insult   
and belittle the holder."   
  
Snape stopped pacing and picked up a stack of long strips of parchment.   
"Nevertheless, you can read about such ridiculous spells in your textbook   
outside of class, as they will be on your examination. I have prepared an   
activity for a more practical application of the method. Open your textbooks to   
page 909 and read the paragraph about reversing the invisibility charm."   
  
He began passing out strips of parchment to them, but he seemed to be very   
choosy over who got which blank piece of parchment.   
  
"You may share what is revealed on your parchment with your classmates, but you   
will be marked on an individual basis on if you can reveal the information   
completely and correctly, without damaging the message."   
  
Snape handed the last slip of parchment to Finn and cleared his throat. "Begin."  
  
"I wonder which side is the part with the message," Kincaid Gallinatti muttered,   
holding his parchment up and squinting at it.   
  
Chloe frowned and ran her wand along the words in her book. "This looks like   
it's not going to be easy," she said to Meghan. "You've got to be very careful   
with how you control your spell because the parchment can--"  
  
"Where'd my parchment go?" Harry Carrington cried out loudly.   
  
"Disappear," Chloe finished. "Or...in...instigate?"  
  
Meghan yelped and slammed her book on top of her parchment. "Catch on fire!"   
  
"In-cin-erate!" Chloe said stabbing her finger at the word. "Exactly."   
  
Harry Carrington was now crawling around on the floor, feeling around for his   
parchment.  
  
"I've got it!" Kincaid exclaimed excitedly.   
  
"What does it say?" Calixta asked, turning around with the rest of them.   
  
"I'm not sure," Kincaid said squinting. "It's sort of fading into   
focus...wait...wait, it says...."  
  
"Ooh, what?" Posy said.   
  
"And," Kincaid said happily. "That wasn't so hard."   
  
"And what?" Meghan scoffed. "Your message was the word and?"   
  
"Kincaid got the one with the really important secret on it," snickered   
Alexander. "The fate of our school is in his hands."   
  
"There's probably a few more words," Gloria suggested politely.   
  
Chloe ran the tip of her wand across the parchment. " Palabra appereum." She   
felt a thrill of anticipation when she saw the sparks of her spell dance on top   
of the parchment briefly, but they died away without the appearance of any   
words.   
  
"Almost," Chloe murmured to herself as she tried to imagine the letters   
appearing bold and dark on her parchment. She liked this class. She could do   
this first.   
  
"Poppies," Meghan said, waving her parchment slip over her head. "Or puppies, I   
can't quite make it out that well."   
  
Finn was reading his book with his hand tangled in his hair and he was mouthing   
the words to himself. "This is hard," he said to Aidan, who was ignoring him and   
everyone else.   
  
It was hard. The Defense against the Dark Arts class fretted and wrinkled their   
parchments while Professor Snape sat at his desk looking most unapproachable.   
  
Finally, after quite a while the Gryffindors were able to work out how the spell   
behaved. The slips of parchment contained information on items to study for   
their next examination.   
  
Even though they all passed the parchments around, some of them weren't able to   
get the entire message to appear. Finn's message merely only said the word   
'Gryffindor' and unfortunately they could only work on their own parchment.   
  
"Write your name on your parchment," Snape ordered. "Miss Biddle, pick them up."   
  
  
When Posy handed them to him, he flipped through them, raising his eyebrows at a   
few of them.   
  
"Study the characteristics of and which is found in the section of your   
textbook. How helpful, Mr. Carrington. I'm sure your classmates appreciate   
your contribution," Snape commented in a dry sarcastic tone.   
  
"And I see Mr. Bell failed to complete the extra credit slip."   
  
Finn bit his lower lip and looked down on his desk.   
  
Snape tapped his wand on the parchment. "Somehow I think your classmates would   
have found 'One hundred points to Gryffindor' much more useful than   
'Gryffindor.' " He smirked at the class.   
  
Finn hung his head lower.   
  
"He did that on purpose," Chloe said quietly to Meghan.   
  
"Of course he did," Meghan snorted. "You don't think he's just going to give us   
a hundred points."   
  
"Poor Finn," Chloe sighed. "I bet that slip was a little harder too."  
  
"Copy your homework assignments. I suggest some of you take extra care on your   
homework, since it appears that some of you did more than poorly on this class   
work. I have posted the list with the first round results of the academic   
contests which you may look at after I dismiss you."  
  
There was a quite a bit stirring amongst the Gryffindors as they all looked at   
each other trying to decide who would be the first in academic standings.   
  
"I bet it's you, Chlo," Meghan whispered. "You get perfect marks in Herbology   
and really good ones in Charms and Transfiguration."  
  
"But not in dumb old Potions," Chloe muttered darkly, hurrying to scribble down   
the homework.   
  
Everyone scrambled for the door when Snape dismissed them and they crowded   
around the list. Chloe was in the back, and she stood on her tiptoes to try and   
see the list. She couldn't quite see through thick Harry Carrington, so Meghan   
pushed her way through a bit closer.   
  
"I'm not last!" Harry Carrington shouted gleefully.   
  
"You're second to last," snickered Kincaid. "Your mum'll be so proud."   
  
"I'm right in the middle," Posy sighed with relief. "Thank goodness."  
  
"Who's first?" demanded Calixta, who was in the back with Chloe.   
  
"I am," said Aidan Malfoy coolly, pushing his way out of the crowd.   
  
Chloe's jaw dropped. Aidan! That little prat wasn't first! ANYONE but him.   
  
"Chlo, you're fourth!" Meghan called over Kincaid's head. "And I'm...I'm...well,   
that's got to be wrong."  
  
Finn appeared next to Chloe, paler than usual with a weak smile.   
  
"I can't believe Aidan Malfoy is FIRST," Chloe hissed angrily. "How can anyone   
compete with someone who stays in the corner of the common room, glaring at   
everyone over his books. I bet he's just dying for the teachers to start a   
course about how to take over the world."   
  
Finn blinked, very confused. "What?"   
  
"Like his father of course," Chloe said, rolling her eyes.   
  
"You know his family?" Finn asked curiously.   
  
"No," said Chloe, catching her slip. "My dad just said something once, that's   
all."   
  
Meghan appeared out of the crowd. "I don't know...they have me down as third.   
But you deserve my spot more, Chlo. You study more." She shook her head and   
shrugged. "If you ask me, this is downright silly anyway."   
  
Finn shrugged. "I'm not happy with my spot either, Chloe. You did quite well,   
though. Better than last, anyway."   
  
Chloe gasped. "Oh, Finn! You don't deserve that!"   
  
"Let's go to dinner," suggested Meghan.   
  
"We're going to have the top three spots on that list," Chloe said, very miffed.   
"And I'm going to beat Aidan Malfoy if it's the last thing I do. Even if I have   
to stop talking to everyone."  
  
"I reckon you'd be right by him if you hadn't got a rotten grade on Professor   
Granger's essay," said Meghan. "Suppose we could write to Grandmum again?" she   
suggested wickedly.   
  
Finn sighed heavily, brushing his feathery hair out of his eyes. "Do you suppose   
you could tell me why you don't like Aidan Malfoy so much?"  
  
"We get marks for Flying when that starts," Chloe said in reply. "I can't wait!"   
  
  
"Stay tuned," Meghan said to Finn with a smile. "Things are probably going to   
get very ugly. She might even drive that prat to start talking, whether it be   
nice words or not."   
  
"He started it," Chloe said lightly. "He talked to me first."   
  
"You talked to me first," Finn said slowly. "You haven't got plans to try and   
beat me at anything, have you?"  
  
~*~  
  
Author note: Sorry about the chapter delay. Life has been crazy. Really, really,   
crazy.   
  
Chloe's Bookshelf has a brand new home. We can be found at   
http://www.geocities.com/caitlyn_mc or if you don't want to copy that into your   
browser, you can click HERE to bookmark to the bookshelf. ;-)   
  
Thanks VERY much to my betas, Anne and Jilly. 


	11. It's hard to find good help these days

Chapter 11- It's Hard to Find Good Help These Days  
From the Desk of Harry James Potter  
Dear Ginny,  
  
Since I am such a kind, considerate husband, I decided not to wake you up to report on the doings of your darling dog this morning. I felt that the offenses would probably look much nicer on paper, as clear, concise arguments for kicking out the miserable scrap of fur.  
  
If being awakened at five bloody AM is one of joys of owning a dog, I would like to share this joy with someone else. Particularly someone far, far away that can't bother to tell us about it. That horrible little mongrel had the nerve to wake me up this morning by CHEWING on my hand. Have you ever been awakened by the sensation of someone GNAWING on your first finger?  
  
Coated in dog spit, I got up, only to STEP in what I believe was a strategically placed pile of dog mess. Or perhaps I should just put it as you do, "Shoebox did his business." Yes, all over the rug.  
  
After preparing a small, meager breakfast before leaving for work, as I do work extremely hard, saving lives all day.I accidentally dropped my slice of toast on the ground. Feeling extremely lucky, that it actually landed butter side up, I reach down for it, only to discover, that the five ounce dog had found the strength to ZOOM across the kitchen floor and practically CHOKE himself gobbling down MY slice of toast, like a deranged glutton. The bloody piece of toast was bigger than him.  
  
Angered, yet calm and collected, I resolved to shut the pig in the pantry as proper punishment, until one of his more adequate owners saw fit to discover him. It was then, just before I was about to leave for work, that I made the startling discovery that the family 'pet' has it in for house elves. The shrieking and yapping coming from the pantry was loud enough to wake the dead. To pacify our resident house elves, (might I add, they were in the house first.before this little nightmare came along), I released Shoebox from the pantry only to realize he "Did his business" on the floor again and he saw my boots as an extreme threat to his well-being, due to him viciously trying to attack them. I thoughtfully resisted the urge to stomp on him, as I felt it would be slightly inconsiderate of me to not allow my son the joy of owning this wretched animal.  
  
Anyhow, now that I am slightly behind in my morning paperwork, I shall offer you the following words with the utmost sincerity, to you, my beautiful wife.  
  
I love you. Very much.  
  
I hate the bloody dog. Very much.  
  
Love,  
  
Harry  
  
P.S. I'm sending carbon copies of this letter to Sirius so don't even bother.. This means war between the dog and me, you know. You should probably let the mutt know about my perfect win/loss record in past wars.  
  
~*~  
  
September passed as quickly as it had come, and the castle was a sight to be seen with the autumn leaves falling to the ground in bright reds, yellows, and shocking oranges that reminded Chloe of the none other than the Canons and the upcoming Quidditch season.  
  
They spent free afternoons on the grounds and in the courtyards, enjoying the crisp weather. They studied, and Meghan and Chloe tried to help Finn as much as they could, but mostly, they all preferred to watch Monster scamper wildly after leaves blown around by the wind and joke with each other.  
  
Chloe was taking a break from her Defense Against the Dark Arts studying and lying on the grass, halfway paying attention to Meg trying to help Finn with Transfiguration.  
  
"Did you write to your dad about our Astronomy lesson?" Meghan asked, while Transfiguring a pebble into a marble.  
  
Chloe smiled to herself, remembering.  
  
~*~  
  
Things weren't looking cheerful when the Slytherins decided they were going to torment the Gryffindors in the first Astronomy lesson of the year. The fact that they outnumbered the Gryffindors two to one enthralled them and they had done nothing but jeer at them from their side of the room  
  
Kincaid was vowing murder under his breath if another parchment wad zoomed across the room. Meghan was busily sketching ugly caricatures.  
  
Chloe buried herself in her Astronomy book and hoped that maybe Aidan Malfoy would crawl over there and join them. He didn't seem to care about the taunting and was reading calmly.  
  
When a parchment ball hit poor Posy Biddle in the neck, Kincaid bolted up like a shot and glared at the Slytherins. "You let the person who threw that come over here and I'll punch his ugly face in!"  
  
"He's talking!" laughed a Slytherin. "Sounds like a big stupid ape!"  
  
"Ignore them, Kincaid," Calixta said with a toss of her shiny black hair.  
  
"At least he doesn't look like an ape," Chloe said, smoothing out a star chart that had been tucked in her textbook.  
  
Meghan picked up the parchment they had thrown at Posy and uncrumpled it. "Isn't it nice of them to give me the paper to draw them on?"  
  
It was times like this when Chloe truly loved being in Gryffindor. The people in her year were wonderful and she always felt as though she belonged with them. She liked something different about every one of them. Except one. He was just there. They paid him no excess attention, because that's what it seemed like what he wanted.  
  
Chloe wanted more than anything to beat him at the academic contest. She simply had to. The very thought of Aidan winning something to represent Gryffindor, when he was so very much not one of them, made her skin crawl. He might as well been a House Ghost, following them all around. Not that Aidan talked to Nearly Headless Nick either.  
  
Chloe's nightmares came and went, but there had not been another incident where she woke up screaming. She only sat up, her heart racing, and stared at the curtains of her four-poster until she drifted back to sleep. If sleep didn't come, she got her Bauble out of her trunk and read until she couldn't keep her eyes open.  
  
Meghan didn't know any of this was going on, and Chloe didn't dare tell her. She was sure Meg would write to her parents. On the days that she got little sleep, Chloe felt even more incentive to work even harder in her classes.  
  
The door opened and a pretty woman walked in. She had red hair and green eyes with lots of eyelashes. "Good evening, class," she said smiling with a perfect smile. "Welcome to Astronomy, I'm Professor Hubble."  
  
"She can't throw students off the Astronomy Tower," Chloe whispered. "I think that's just a story to try and scare first years."  
  
Professor Hubble's robes were a deep earthy green and along the bottom hem, there were shiny beads that tinkled as she walked. "Shall we call the roll before we get started?" Again, she smiled perfectly at them and sat on the edge of the table, crossing her ankles. "I'd like to learn everyone's name this evening."  
  
The Slytherins were glancing at one another, obviously not quite knowing what to make of this new breed of teacher.  
  
The roll call went as usual, with Professor Hubble taking extra care to pronounce their names correctly. Then....  
  
"Meghan Weas--," Professor Hubble said, drifting off at the end of Meghan's name. She looked up sharply and her eyes darted from student to student.  
  
Meghan gave a funny look to Chloe and tentatively raised a hand. "Erm. Present."  
  
"Weasley," Professor Hubble repeated to herself. She gazed at Meghan, her attention drawn to Meg's red curls. Professor Hubble pressed her lips together, with her perfectly applied maroon lipstick, and made a checkmark next to Meg's name.  
  
Meghan stared back, utterly mystified.  
  
"Another," Professor Hubble was murmuring to herself. "I can't believe it...they just keep appearing..." She looked up and smiled brightly. "Tell me, Meghan, who are your parents? Your name looks quite familiar to me."  
  
"Penelope and Percy Weasley," Meghan said, for once, not knowing what to do with herself. "I have a brother and a sister here too...maybe that's why?"  
  
Professor Hubble's sandaled foot caused the beads on her skirt to jingle as her foot ticked. "Yes, I know your brother and sister. They're very well behaved.it never occurred to me to think them to be related to those Weasl-- , well, that's beside the point. Do you have any uncles?"  
  
Meghan did a quick count on her fingers by way of habit. "Six."  
  
"Six?" Professor Hubble raised an eyebrow. "An Uncle Bill perhaps?"  
  
Meghan nodded slowly, almost reluctantly.  
  
"I see..." Professor Hubble said in a testy voice. "I used to know him. You'll have to send him an owl, telling him about this class...." She glanced down at the roll and smirked slightly.  
  
Meghan slunk down in her chair, her blue eyes very wide. "Okay."  
  
~*~  
  
"She seems okay," Finn said happily afterwards "I really liked using the telescopes. I understood the whole lesson!"  
  
Meghan's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding?"  
  
Chloe burst out laughing and smoothed her hair away from her face. "Meghan Weasley," she teased in her best Professor Hubble voice.  
  
"I thought she was going to eat me!" Meghan cried. "Did you see the way she looked at me?! She was going to pull a cauldron out of the back and make a stew out of me!"  
  
"You'd be a terrible stew," Chloe grinned. "Maybe a nice broth and noodles. I like her. I think she's nice."  
  
Meghan took a swing at Chloe with her sketchpad. "This isn't funny! She really hates me, and only because I'm a Weasley! I can tell!"  
  
"You could write to Uncle Bill," Chloe suggested, dodging the sketchpad and laughing.  
  
"Oh yeah," Meghan scoffed. "Dear Uncle Bill, Could you kindly tell me what you did to Professor Hubble to make her want to shove me off the side of the Astronomy Tower?"  
  
"Sounds okay," Chloe replied with a merry look in Finn's direction.  
  
"Shove it," Meghan scowled. "Teachers always love Cath and Morty.and when it gets to me, they decide they should get rid of the bad egg!"  
  
"There's one in every dozen," Chloe sighed dramatically.  
  
Meghan shrieked and took off after Chloe down the corridor. "I'm going to tell her who your mother is!"  
  
~*~  
  
Hogwarts Hero Returns to his Roots  
  
By Ronald Weasley, Quidditch Today Correspondent.  
  
By now, the story is legendary in European Quidditch. It was the final day of the league season, and the second place Chudley Cannons were playing at home against first place Puddlemere United, and the winner of this game would almost surely win the league. The biggest side story of the game was the Chudley Cannons star Keeper was playing against the team that originally signed him.  
  
Any fan of Quidditch can tell you the rest. Five minutes into the game, that Keeper, the legendary Oliver Wood, tore his rotator cuff muscle in his right arm (a muscle in the shoulder that allows the arm to move in a circle), and therefore could not throw the Quaffle the entire game. Every time he made a save, and there were many that night, a Chaser had to come back and take the Quaffle from him to restart the attack. He played heroically that night, and inspired his Cannons on to victory and the League Championship.  
  
Only Cannons fans, and former teammates, can tell you the rest of the story. Wood first plied his future trade at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he was a member of the Gryffindor House Team, and Captain beginning his Fifth Year. While he was there, he won only one House Championship, due solely to events beyond his control.  
  
The hero has returned to his roots, now. This time, though, not just Gryffindor, but all four houses will get to benefit from his long experience and single-minded drive, for he has been named Hogwarts Flying Instructor, to replace the retiring Madam Hooch. Although Gryffindor can most certainly use his leadership, as the current team is in a sorry state, Wood is going to have to remain unbiased.  
  
There are a few drawbacks to this selection, the first, and largest, being that Oliver Wood is almost obsessed with the subject of Quidditch. He eats, sleeps, and breathes Quidditch and has serious problems with anybody who disagrees with this lifestyle. Deputy Headmistress Granger, who hired him to be the Flying Instructor, clearly believes that this personality trait will make him a good instructor for his young charges.  
  
An obstacle he faces is the lack of funding for Quidditch. Due to budget troubles, Hogwarts has found it easiest to cut funds for Quidditch, as opposed to showing any real creativity in stretching the budget in other ways. In particular, Deputy Headmistress Granger has shown a real lack of flexibility when setting the budget for what is obviously necessary to turn out properly educated and well-rounded students. If the past is any indication, though, Oliver will not only turn around the budget and the Quidditch at Hogwarts, he will take them to new heights not seen for quite some time.  
  
~*~  
  
The grass smelled fresh and damp after a cool afternoon shower and the bottom hems of their robes grew damp as they trekked out onto the castle grounds.  
  
"Gryffindor hasn't won a game in seven years," Chloe said. "And no one seems to want to do anything about it. I tried asking a few older students who was on the Quidditch team, but none of them seemed to know."  
  
"Maybe the Quidditch team doesn't want to admit to it," Meg grinned.  
  
"They hired a new Flying teacher," Alexander commented. "I wonder what they'll do about it."  
  
"You shouldn't have any troubles with Flying," Chloe told Finn. "Remember? My dad said that he was on the Quidditch team with your mum."  
  
"Is he sure?" Finn said. "My mum really doesn't seem the broomstick type. But, maybe I'll be good at Flying."  
  
"Flying is okay," Harry Carrington said, walking next to them with his comfortable lope. "Falling s'not so bad either."  
  
"Yeah, it's the hitting the ground part that's a real bother," Alexander teased. "Carrington has tried for years to learn how to bounce."  
  
"Of course she's the broomstick type!" Chloe insisted. "I've heard some really great stories!"  
  
The rusty door to the broom shed screamed in protest when someone pushed it open completely. A younger-looking wizard appeared, balancing a trunk on one of his shoulders, striding towards them energetically.  
  
"Is that the teacher?" Posy asked, saying what they all were wondering.  
  
"That's.." Chloe stared hard.  
  
The man was within speaking distance of them before she could finish her thought.  
  
"Call me Oliver," he said dropping the trunk forcefully on the ground. He crossed his arms over his khaki flying robes and looked them over. "I'm not a professor and you're not going to like me enough to call me sir or Mr. Wood. Oliver will suit me fine."  
  
"That's Oliver Wood!" Chloe whispered to Meghan. "He's a real professional Quidditch player!"  
  
"Let's get something clear," Oliver continued, kicking the trunk open with his boot. The trunk held an old Quidditch set. "I'm not here to prance around like some damn teacher. So don't expect me to act like one. This isn't a Flying class."  
  
"Could have sworn that's what the time-table said," Alexander muttered out of the corner of his mouth.  
  
"Line up!" Oliver barked.  
  
The first-years tripped over one another to try and comply with him as quickly as possible.  
  
Oliver pulled the Quaffle out of the box. It was extremely worn out, Spellotaped in several places and looked very tired and sagging. "Do you know when the last time Gryffindor won a Quidditch cup?"  
  
Chloe was in mute amazement. It was like he jumped out of one of her Quidditch cards.  
  
He stopped pacing and swung around, face to face with Aidan Malfoy. "Well?!"  
  
Aidan's mouth opened slightly, taken by surprise. "I don't know," he stuttered.  
  
"He doesn't know the answer!" Chloe whispered delightedly.  
  
"Wrong!" Oliver bellowed, hurling the Quaffle at Aidan.  
  
Aidan caught the old Quaffle directly in the stomach with a loud 'Oof!' and he stumbled backwards and fell.  
  
The first-years all gave a collective gasp of shock.  
  
Chloe and Meghan shared an astonished glance. Was that allowed?  
  
"Help him up!" Oliver said with exasperation. "Are you in the same house or not?"  
  
Kincaid and Alexander came to their senses and grabbed Aidan by the elbows, hauling him to his feet. "Come on, mate," Kincaid grunted.  
  
Aidan brushed off his robes and didn't reply.  
  
"Why don't we make this a little simpler...." Oliver didn't seem fazed by their reactions and reached into the trunk and pulled out a Beater bat.  
  
Calixta gave a small scream.  
  
Oliver rolled his eyes. "Oh for pity's sake, you're in Gryffindor. Suck it up!"  
  
He hit the bat rhythmically against his calloused palm and paced around them again. "Now then, in the past four years, how many games has Gryffindor won?"  
  
"Is this a.quiz?" Harry squeaked.  
  
Oliver turned slowly. "Is this a quiz?" He smiled slightly and shook his head.  
  
The Gryffindors sighed with relief.  
  
"NO!" Oliver roared, swooping down to Harry's level. "IT'S NOT A BLOODY QUIZ! IT'S THE INFORMATION YOU WILL MEMORIZE IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT OUT OF MY CLASS!  
  
"The answer, boys and girls, is ZERO. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SHOULD BE HANGING YOUR HEADS AND SOBBING WITH SHAME!"  
  
They all hung their heads as if they had lead weights attached to their foreheads. Calixta was even choking with small sobs, probably more out of fear than shame.  
  
"I'm just going to drop out of school and become a starving artist," Meghan was vowing under her breath. "I'll live a lot longer. and starving has to be better than this.  
  
"That's better," Oliver said in a perfectly normal calm tone. "Now, can anyone tell me what we're going to do about this?"  
  
Chloe lifted her eyes from the grass slowly. "Learn how to fly better than everyone?"  
  
"Yes," Oliver nodded, still perfectly calm. A few more people ventured to glance up again. "This is not a Flying class. Every single one of you will learn not only how to fly, but how to play Quidditch also. This ridiculous policy that the school has about optional broom training does not APPLY to any member in Gryffindor house. AUDEN!"  
  
A young man hurried out of the broom shed, hauling a wheeled cart full of broomsticks. He had a finely featured face, lanky build and dark honey colored hair. Chloe recognized him from the train ride as the boy that had accidentally burst into their compartment and she had later found out that he was in Mortimer's year.  
  
"This is Kinsley Auden," Oliver announced, clapping a hand on Kinsley's shoulder. "You will treat him with the same respect that you treat me. I am allowing him to help out in class, as he is your Quidditch Captain."  
  
Kinsley gave a casual two-fingered salute and winked, before tossing brooms out of the cart onto the grass. Oliver surveyed his work and inspected all the brooms closely.  
  
Alexander snorted. "What a brown-noser."  
  
"He is not!" Calixta answered, who had been staring raptly at Kinsley.  
  
"He's in third year and he's the captain?" Chloe said in bewilderment.  
  
"Well, that explains the not winning any games...."  
  
"It's his first year as captain and second year on the team," Alexander informed them.  
  
"Okay," Oliver said, tromping back over to them, robes flapping. "We're going to start from the very beginning, as not all of us are familiar with Flying."  
  
He held out a broom with one hand and jammed it into the ground, bristle side up.  
  
"Can anyone tell me what this is?"  
  
There was a pregnant pause as they eyed him and the broomstick carefully. Meghan, of course, was the first to break down.  
  
"A broomstick," Meghan snorted, trying to keep a straight face. "Used for sweeping or flying."  
  
"Wrong!" Oliver said, glaring at her. "Give me five push-ups and ten points from Gryffindor. Kinsley, give me another broom."  
  
Meghan's mouth dropped open and her hands landed directly on her hips. "The ground is dirty," Meghan replied, her head cocked to the side. "Why would I get on the ground when that's exact opposite where we want to be in this class. Doesn't flying take place the air?"  
  
Chloe sighed and began composing a letter to Aunt Penny and Uncle Percy in her head.  
  
Dear Aunt Penny and Uncle Percy,  
  
I'm really sorry, but Meghan was shaken to death by the Flying teacher today. She didn't have a good time to begin with the Astronomy Professor and something about Uncle Bill...but then she decided to take on Oliver Wood because she refused to get her robes dirty.  
  
Oliver's chin lowered as he locked gazes with her. Meghan was unfazed, obviously angry enough to fight back. "You are pushing your limits," he said cooly.  
  
"You're yelling at us for something we didn't do," Meghan replied huffily.  
  
Chloe elbowed Meghan sharply. "Meghan!"  
  
Oliver crossed his arms, and surprisingly, he was very calm. "Would you prefer to run around the Quidditch pitch instead, your highness?"  
  
"Hmph!" Meghan answered, doing her five-pushups. "I don't like flying."  
  
"Glad to hear it," Oliver said, glancing at his watch. "You're a Weasley, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes," Meghan replied grumpily.  
  
"Then we'll get along nicely, won't we? Stay after class and help Kinsley clean the broom shed," Oliver replied, "Next time any of you decide to get cheeky with me, I'll make the entire class run laps around the pitch. Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes," they all answered gloomily. The pitch was in view from the castle grounds and it looked enormous.  
  
Kinsley handed Oliver another broom and he held it out for them to get a closer look. "Now, I'm going to ask again, what is this?"  
  
More silence. Chloe sighed inwardly. Why did Flying have to turn out like this? The one class she really was looking forward to. Maybe he was asking for a specific sort of broom.  
  
"The lettering is worn down," Chloe spoke up, squinting at the broom. "But I'm pretty sure.well, I think it's an old Shooting Star."  
  
Oliver nodded. "Ten points to Gryffindor. She's right. It's an old Shooting Star. Terrible shape. Do you see the cracks along the handle and how broken and misshapen the bristles are? The alignment is shot to ribbons and you couldn't fix it if you wanted to. It's not going to corner worth a damn. Anyone want to guess what this broom is worth?"  
  
Chloe shrugged. The rest of the Gryffindors looked at each other blankly.  
  
Oliver cracked the broom over his knee, and it snapped with a loud pop. He threw the two halves behind him, narrowly missing Kinsley.  
  
"That's how much," Oliver said to their gaping expressions. "Your school seems to think that Quidditch needs next to no funding and leaves you those pathetic excuses for broomsticks that are worth their weight in firewood kindling to fly on!  
  
"Therefore," he continued, "today's lesson is to safely fall off your broomsticks, because I refuse to teach anyone how to fly on those pathetic excuses.of whatever those are. Your homework is to write home to your parents and ask them to demand more funding for magical sports and donations to the school Quidditch fund."  
  
Meghan's interest was sparked like a fuse on a stick of dynamite. "You mean.we're going to protest?"  
  
Oliver started tossing them each brooms and grinned with a wicked twinkle in his blue eyes. "Of course not, Weasley. But these brooms would make a right pretty bonfire on the head of the school board's front yard."  
  
"I might like Flying after all!" Meghan answered with enthusiasm.  
  
~*~  
  
After class, Chloe followed Meghan to the broom shed. Class had been tough, despite the fact that she already knew how to fly. Oliver worked them all very hard, and throwing oneself off a broom onto the ground was very painful, Chloe had discovered.  
  
They were filthy. They both had dirt going up one side of their robes, leaves and grass in their hair and felt very sticky and sweaty. The sooner the broomshed could be cleaned, the better.  
  
Meghan rapped on the tin door and they poked their heads inside.  
  
Kinsley was pushing a huge lumpy gray pile of..well.something out of the corner. "Come in and get to work then." He peered at Chloe. "What are you doing here? I thought Oliver only told the smart-aleck to come clean."  
  
Chloe shrugged. "I'm Chloe. I reckoned you might want an extra hand."  
  
"I'm not a smart-mouth," Meghan retorted. "He asked a question and I answered it."  
  
Kinsley jerked his thumb towards a broom resting on a rusty wall. "You got what you deserved. Go sweep." He pushed his hair out of his face, standing up. "You can haul these outside since you want to help so much, Cassie."  
  
"Chloe," Chloe corrected him. "She's Meghan."  
  
"That's nice," Kinsley said, shaking his head.  
  
Chloe grudgingly picked up an armful of the smelly gray cloth. "What are these things?"  
  
"Old Practice uniforms," Kinsley answered, zapping a spider web with his wand. "I'd guess they've been in here for about a decade.who knows if they washed them."  
  
"Gross," Chloe muttered, setting to work.  
  
They worked in silence for a long time and the sun was starting to set when Kinsley stopped scouring the side of the wall. "Who is the blond boy in your year? The one that no one talks to."  
  
Chloe paused and glanced at Meg. "That's Aidan."  
  
"Aidan," Kinsley repeated.  
  
"And we don't talk to him because he doesn't talk to us," Meghan added.  
  
Kinsley continued scrubbing the wall, the metal brush grating against the tin wall. "So, what's the deal with him? He's shy? Stupid? Crazy?"  
  
Chloe shrugged. "He doesn't want to talk to anyone. He only speaks to the teachers and Finn when he feels like it."  
  
"Then why don't you talk to him?" Kinsley asked, pushing up his robe sleeve again. "He's in your year."  
  
"We don't like each other," Chloe replied flatly, scrubbing the floor as hard as she could.  
  
Kinsley turned and smiled. "You don't like each other? Because you talk so much?"  
  
"It's a little more complicated than that." Chloe dunked her scrub brush in the water and moved to another spot on the floor.  
  
"Leave her alone," Meghan said, coming to Chloe's defense. "If you want to help him, go ahead, but leave Chloe alone."  
  
Kinsley laughed slightly. "So you and Aidan have a past, eh?" he said, amused. "What he'd do? Steal your teddy bear?"  
  
"It's none of your business," Chloe snapped. "Why are you picking on us?"  
  
"You two are really a piece of work, you know that?"  
  
Meghan slammed the lid on a Quidditch trunk. "Thanks."  
  
"Hey there," Kinsley said, holding his hands up. "Don't get your feathers all blown the wrong way. I'm just making conversation."  
  
"Or sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," Meghan retorted.  
  
Kinsley laughed outright and pushed his hair back again. "Okay, but let me get this straight...you two don't talk to Aidan because something happened a long time ago. That makes the rest of your house not talk to him."  
  
"No," Chloe frowned. "That doesn't make sense at all. Why are you trying to make this our fault?"  
  
"You're in Gryffindor, right?"  
  
"Of course," Meghan scoffed. "Can't you read?"  
  
"And so is Aidan," Kinsley said simply. "He's in your house and you've never spoken to him. None of you have."  
  
Chloe rubbed her forehead with the back of her palm. "If you feel so sorry for him, you talk to him. He's in your house too."  
  
"Wouldn't make any difference. He's in your year," Kinsley answered. "Obviously you have something in common as you're in the same house. And do you know what I think?"  
  
"I think you should worry about winning a Quidditch match," Meg said acidly.  
  
"I think you two are the ones that your house is going to follow the leads of. You two don't talk to Aidan, so the rest of your house follows suit."  
  
Chloe was silent. He just didn't understand.  
  
"You might as well be in Slytherin. You're snobs and no better than he is if you say he won't talk to you. It works both ways, you know."  
  
Chloe shoved the bucket of water over and felt hot tears spill over her cheeks and she looked at the floor.  
  
Meghan rushed to Chloe's side and hugged her shoulders protectively. "You big bully!" she shouted at Kinsley. "Go work with your stupid Quidditch team. Why can't anyone leave her alone?"  
  
Kinsley's face softened some when he saw Chloe start to cry, so he kneeled by her. "Look, kid, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. Your friend is right, it isn't any of my business and I was too hard on you...please don't cry."  
  
Chloe wiped her eyes, embarrassed. She hadn't been so sensitive about things until she came to school. "It's okay."  
  
Faintly, the bell that signaled it was dinnertime tolled from the castle.  
  
"Come on," Kinsley said, taking her hand and pulling her up. "You two go to the castle and get cleaned up so you can eat dinner. Don't worry about the broom shed. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, she's great," Meghan said sarcastically. "She really loves being insulted. Those are tears of joy...."  
  
Kinsley gave Meghan a withering look. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her feelings."  
  
" ~*~  
  
Hermione was just finishing a letter to a parent when the fireplace in her office blazed up. She set her quill down and walked over to pull the piece of parchment, fluttering in the purple flames.  
  
Request to speak to Hermione Granger-Weasley. Harry Potter.  
  
Hermione lifted the top of one the pretty ceramic jars that lined the fireplace mantle, next to Laura's picture. She dropped a pinch of gray powder into the flames.  
  
The flames spluttered and flickered brightly and then Harry's profile appeared, his elbow resting on his desk, chin in his hand.  
  
"And then what happened?"  
  
"This giant.great toothed beast picked up my hiding spot and shook it as hard as he could! You should have.the roar sir, you should have heard the roar!"  
  
Hermione could just see a pair of excited hands with wrists clad in Auror blue waving excitedly in front of Harry.  
  
"It picked up your hiding spot. Shook you and roared at you," Harry repeated, tapping the side of his face with his fingertips.  
  
"Oh yes, sir!" screeched the Auror, his hand hitting the edge of Harry's desk with enthusiasm. "I never saw anything like it, and then I was almost thrown into a pit! Everything was shaking so hard I thought my teeth were going to rattle right out of my mouth!"  
  
"And then?"  
  
There came a sound of boots stepping forward. "Then the emergency backup team arrived to get him out of the mess, sir. Had to memory wipe the Muggles, they heard him screaming his head off, sir." The boots stepped back again.  
  
Harry ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up briefly and then join the other hairs in their usual disarray. "A giant great toothed beast."  
  
"Yes, sir!"  
  
"Lieutenant Phipps?" Harry nodded toward the direction of where Hermione supposed the boots to be standing.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Take Silvas out for a nice lunch and politely explain a dumpster and a rubbish truck. Sounds like he's had a very.enlightening first day in the Muggle world. You're dismissed."  
  
Harry picked up his quill and scratched his name on a parchment. He took a drink from a mug and swallowed hard when he noticed Hermione smiling at him.  
  
''Sorry!" he said wiping the side of his mouth, turning his chair to face her. "I didn't expect those officers to be here...."  
  
"It's okay," Hermione answered. "I have an appointment with someone, but not until later."  
  
Harry picked up something off his desk. "Hermione, we've been friends for a long time, right?"  
  
Hermione nodded pleasantly. "It seems like just yesterday we were running around Hogwarts, getting into every scrape.."  
  
Harry smiled ever so briefly. "Sure. And through all those years, we've helped each other."  
  
Hermione paused a beat. "Yes...."  
  
"And if one of us makes a bad decisi-"  
  
"What?"  
  
Harry jerked what he had been holding into view. Hermione was just able to glance at the heading. "YOU HIRED OLIVER WOOD?!"  
  
Hermione's mouth opened indignantly. "Harry! What on earth?"  
  
Harry shook the magazine fiercely. "Have you lost your mind?! Do you REMEMBER Oliver?"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "He's an adult, Harry. For heaven's sake, I can't believe you're reacting like this. He played professional Quidditch, what more could you ask for qualifications?"  
  
"QUALIFICATIONS!?" roared Harry. "I want my daughter back in one piece at Christmas!"  
  
Hermione watched his glasses slide down his nose in his passion. "I don't appreciate you questioning my judgment in what makes a good teacher."  
  
Harry snorted. "I have very good faith in your judgment, but not concerning Flying!"  
  
"Oliver is a very good teacher," said Hermione. "You, Harry, are the first person to complain about him."  
  
"Because he's probably already scared them into submission," Harry groaned. "How could...how could you put Oliver in charge of groups of children! Please tell me you gave him a psychological screening."  
  
Hermione burst out laughing. "Are you listening to yourself? Have you had a psychological screening for yourself? You're blowing things out of proportion!"  
  
"You putting things under-proportion!"  
  
Hermione sighed and tapped her nails on her desk. "Harry, under proportion is not a real phrase...."  
  
"Hermione! Would you listen to me?"  
  
"You're just worried about Chloe," Hermione said in a soothing tone. "Remember how you would always tell Remus and Sirius they were worrying too much about you?"  
  
Harry held up the magazine he was holding and cleared his throat. "There are a few drawbacks to this selection though. The first, and largest, being that Oliver Wood is obsessed with the subject of Quidditch."  
  
"That's dedication!" Hermione said, shaking her head.  
  
Harry didn't reply, but kept reading. " He eats, sleeps, and breathes Quidditch and has serious problems with anybody who disagrees." Harry raised his eyebrows. "Let me tell you what the subtext is... Oliver likes Quidditch a lot. Nothing should come in your way of getting a Quidditch Cup, because if you just happen to die in the process, they can solder it to your gravestone!"  
  
"You of all people know better than to believe everything you read from the press. I refuse to trust the opinions of some reporter wanting to sell more Quidditch magazines!"  
  
"Article written by Ron Weasley," Harry read to himself in a thoughtful tone. "Oh."  
  
Hermione snapped her head up. "He said he was writing an article on the new Bludger designs suggested by the League! He didn't know who the new Flying Instructor was until a week ago! I told him over dinner!"  
  
"You've got a nice little mention," Harry said casually. "But, Hermione, it's just some reporter wanting to sell more Quidditch magazines! Surely you're above reading yellow press...."  
  
Hermione sighed. "May I see the article?"  
  
"My point is proven," Harry said, sticking the magazine on the end of a pair of fire tongs. It plopped on Hermione's hearth with slightly singed corners.  
  
"This is unbelievable," Hermione fumed, flipping through the magazine. "If I wasn't his wife, I would sue him!"  
  
"Well, it is an editorial," Harry put in, obviously very pleased with himself. "I'll leave you to that article."  
  
"Wait," Hermione glanced up at him. "Do you know if Ginny got a letter I sent her awhile ago? I never got a reply from her and I reckoned she was just busy with everything."  
  
"Letter," he said slowly. "We get so many, what was it about?"  
  
"Oh, about Chloe. I'm sure you two discussed it."  
  
Harry squinted, appearing to think hard. "Oh, yes. About that Howler?"  
  
"Yes, so you got it?"  
  
"Oh yes," Harry nodded, "I definitely...uh, came across it. I think Chloe understands what we expect of her now. "  
  
Hermione smiled, satisfied. "I knew a letter would solve the whole problem. It was so minor to begin with, but I knew Ginny would want a letter. The communication between you two is wonderful!"  
  
Harry smiled with a funny look on his face and was silent.  
  
There was a loud rapping at Hermione's door and Harry seemed to be glad to hear it. "Right! I'll let you get back to work."  
  
Hermione plopped the magazine on her desk with a heavy sigh after Harry disappeared. "Come in, please."  
  
Her door creaked open and Oliver strolled into her office, perfectly cheerful. "Deputy."  
  
Hermione pulled a stack of parchment from her desk. "Mr. Wood, we have a serious problem."  
  
"I agree," Oliver said, nodding with gusto. "I knew I could depend on you, Hermione. A fellow Gryffindor alumna! Go Lions, eh!" He shook his fist enthusiastically at her.  
  
"You are not paid to advocate funding for this school," Hermione replied, watching Oliver's cheerleader face fall flat. "Enlighten me as to why I've been sent over two dozen owls from parents, asking why they must send money to the Flying teacher."  
  
Oliver's genuine smile returned. "Think of it as a fundraiser!"  
  
"Four Hufflepuffs were in sobbing fits. What is going on in your class?"  
  
"A rigorous training program," Oliver answered promptly. "Those Badger pansies have another think coming if they think they're going to get by with the flying they've been practicing. You'll have the best flyers this side of Europe! Give me my funding, and I'll get it done twice as quickly."  
  
Hermione decided to go with a different tactic. "Oliver," she said kindly. "I'm on your side, really, but it's extremely hard to get money like you're asking for."  
  
Oliver's dimples appeared and he shot her another photo-shoot grin. "We can solve that problem ourselves. I have many ways of overcoming that hurdle."  
  
Hermione felt a headache coming on, but she mustn't let Harry know that she felt that hiring Oliver wasn't exactly the wisest choice she had made. "Oliver, I appreciate.your.avant-garde teaching tactics.but.."  
  
"So you're coming to the demonstration then, Deputy?"  
  
Hermione frowned, trying to possible work out how she had forgotten an upcoming school event. "I'm sorry?"  
  
"The bonfire demonstration in front of the head of the school board's yard," Oliver said, in a voice that could have also asked her to an afternoon tea. "I'm sure the Headmaster would like to come too."  
  
Somehow, Hermione managed not to scream.  
  
~*~  
  
Author note : Thanks to Anne, Ami, Michael, and Jilly for beta reading.  
  
I had a guest author this chapter! Michael wrote Ron's Quidditch article at my request. Thank you, Michael!  
  
Come visit the new improved Chloe's Bookshelf. You can find us at www.geocities.com/caitlyn_mc 


	12. Persnickety Plants and Dogs Being Drownd...

_Dear Finnigan,_

_I enjoyed your last letter. It was nice to hear about you enjoying Astronomy. No, I do not believe I know Professor Hubble or Meghan's Uncle Bill. Is there any particular reason why you're asking? Tell Meghan I do know her Uncle Charlie if that helps._

_I hope you're eating well, including vegetables. I've been busy with work and our flat is quiet without you here in the evenings, but I've been finding things here and there to do. Your invitation to come home still stands, of course. The wizarding world isn't right for everyone, but I know you're trying very hard._

_Study hard and mind the professors._

_Love,_

_Mum_

__

Remus had decided that adding a small shot of Firewhisky to his coffee would make his essay marking slightly less mind-numbing. In fact, he had discovered that a dash more made things downright cheerful.

"Very good," Remus said to the essay. "With the exception to the fact that W.L. Bagby was a woman."

He as just taking another drink of coffee when someone knocked on his door.

"Hope it's the slimy git!" Remus said lifting his cup towards the door. "I mean, Headmaster."

The individual at the door was most certainly not Professor Snape. She definitely lacked the height and Professor Snape could only wish for long hair like hers.

"Chloe Grace?" Remus was genuinely surprised to see her, especially without Meghan and Finn.

"Ineed to talk to you, Uncle Remus." Chloe's mouth was set and her brow was furrowed.

Remus understood immediately. _Uncle Remus_. This was family business and something more serious than schoolwork. He had been concerned about her for a week or so now. She hadn't been acting like the usual Chloe.

She plunked herself into one of the chairs in front of his desk and her eyes snapped to the Firewhisky bottle. "You've been dri--"

Remus halted her question, but certainly not her inquisitive gaze. He was an idiot to forget to put it away. It might not be school hours, but it was the last thing he needed was for his niece to think he was a drunk. "I'm using it as a catalyst for an experiment." He cleared his throat and grabbed the bottle off his desk and put away in the cabinet.

"What experiment?" Chloe asked immediately. "What's a catalyst?"

Remus took a deep breath. "Ah. The effects of impediment...erm, impedimentation on a Doxy." Yes. That sounded scientific.

Chloe's eyes brightened. "Really? Can I see?"

Remus warily pulled the whisky bottle out of the cabinet. "Yes. You just...measure about this much and study their reaction. It takes awhile...so you may have to come back tomorrow to see what happened." He tried not to wince when he sloshed the Firewhisky into the Doxy's water dish. He hoped beyond anything that the Doxy could hold its alcohol.

Chloe peered in the cage for a moment and then turned back to Remus, her face serious again. "I want to ask you about something."

"Anything," Remus said, sitting in his chair again.

"Aidan Malfoy," Chloe said quickly. She looked down at the floor, ashamed as if she had just said a swear word rather than the name of one of her classmates.

Remus wasn't remotely surprised to hear his name from her. He knew it would come eventually. "What about Aidan?" he asked her.

Her words came tumbling out of her mouth, faster than she could say them and Remus heard everything from her nightmares coming back to Kinsley Auden calling her a snob.

Finally, she bit her lower lip, fighting back tears and looked up at him. "And I don't know what to do, Uncle Remus. You're the only one who will understand."

Remus could already see the relief on her face. She had needed to tell someone. He only wished it had been sooner, Chloe could have saved herself a lot of worrying and questions about Aidan Malfoy. "Chloe Grace," he began, pulling a sheet of parchment from his desk. "I think you're growing up to be a fine young witch. You did the right thing, coming to talk to someone."

Chloe wiped her eyes on her robe sleeve and her attention suddenly moved to his window. "You haven't been giving your ivy Firewhisky, have you? It's not good for it."

Remus glanced back at his ivy on the windowsill, hanging on to life with a withering green leaf. "No," he said, smiling in spite of himself. "I'm just a serial ivy murderer."

Chloe fetched his ivy and fiddled with it. "What can I do?"

"I want you to find everything about Aidan Malfoy yourself," Remus said. "You need to know the whole story."

Chloe looked up from the ivy, perplexed. "But I _know_ the whole story...I was there."

"You don't know what happened after you came home," Remus corrected her. "You were five. Your father wanted to protect you." It was the truth. Havenwood hadn't seen a shred of newsprint for weeks after the trial. Harry had also refused to speak about the Malfoys in Chloe's presence.

"Protect me? From being kidnapped again?"

"No. From the media, from what happened between him and the Malfoys. He was right in doing so then, but now you're old enough to know everything and you deserve to know." Remus sincerely hoped Harry would agree with him when he found out about this.

Chloe plucked off another dead leaf. "You can't tell me?" she asked quietly.

"I won't tell you," Remus answered. "This is something you need to do yourself. If you have any questions, you can come and ask me anything or write to your father."

Chloe was quiet as she pruned the plant, obviously thinking over his words. "Daddy won't be upset?"

"I don't know," Remus answered honestly. "But would you rather know the truth or hide from it?"

"What do I do?" Chloe asked immediately.

Remus handed her the parchment. "Try looking in these places first. It may be hard to find."

Chloe folded the parchment and tucked it into her robes. "Uncle Remus?"

"Yes?"

"Do you like Aidan Malfoy?"

"I don't have a reason to not like him," Remus said raising an eyebrow.

"I still want to beat him at the academic competition," Chloe said with a mischievous smile that was strikingly similar to the one Remus used to see across Harry's face. "He thinks he's so clever, but he really just studies more than everyone else. I think I can beat him."

"There's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition," Remus smiled. "You're both quite clever."

"But slightly _more_ clever than Ai—" Chloe stopped her argument when a sudden bright orange glow from the Doxy cage nearly blinded them.

After it was over, Chloe squeaked and ran over to the Doxy cage, which was unfortunately Doxy-less.

"He's exploded into nothing!" she exclaimed, horrified. "Uncle Remus!"

"Disinegrated," Remus said, sighing heavily. Obviously Doxies could not hold alcohol. "I guess the experiment was flawed."

"You _weren't_ experimenting," Chloe informed him. "The poor Doxy."

Remus decided he might as well confess. "I wasn't. I do apologize to the Doxy, even though he nearly took my hand off when I put him in that cage."

Chloe hmphed at him and collected his ivy. "I'm taking your ivy. You might try to blow it up."

Remus waved his hand at it. "Take it. I wish it nothing but good health and happiness in your care."

Chloe hugged him before he left and Remus knew that despite what Harry would say, he had done the right thing.

Penny double-checked her sums to make sure the totals matched. It was custom for her to have tea with Hermione and Ginny on the weekend. Penny often used this time to go over the household accounting. She would never let Percy hire an accountant when she could easily do it herself. She enjoyed having control over the household finances.

Hermione was talking about her teaching escapades, and Penny knew that eventually one of her children would be mentioned. Catherine and Mortimer always got glowing remarks from Hermione. Meghan always got the more interesting comments....

A secret part of Penelope, the part that didn't add up sums for fun, really enjoyed hearing about Meghan and Chloe being silly in class, or causing a little bit of trouble. No one ever expected that out of calm, rule-abiding, Ravenclaw Penelope.

An ungodly shriek jerked Penelope from her thoughts and Jamsey Potter came crashing through the kitchen door.

"James!" Ginny exclaimed when he ran to her lap, sobbing.

"DADDY IS TRYING TO DROWNDED SHOEBOX!" James screamed into Ginny's robes.

It was then that Penny noticed a sopping black puppy in James' arms. So that was Shoebox. She poured more tea for herself and waited to hear the rest of the story.

It was then that Harry came stampeding through the kitchen door, clad only in a white terrycloth towel. He slipped on the kitchen tile and did a sort of Highland Fling until he caught his balance again.

"James Albus Potter!" Harry shouted. "Come here this instant!"

"HARRY!" Ginny exclaimed, mortified enough for the both of them. "We have guests!"

Penelope hid her smile behind her teacup when Harry noticed both she and Hermione sitting there.

"Ladies," Harry said politely, as if he were in his best Auror dress rather than being one towel away from his skivvies. "Good afternoon."

"Would you kindly get some clothes!" Ginny said, waving him out of the kitchen.

"Daddy is a mean old jaybird!" James sobbed into Ginny's lap.

Harry exited the kitchen, presumably to follow his wife's directions, but not without a dry look in the direction of his four-year old.

"Daddy is not a mean old jaybird," Ginny said, taking the dog from James. "_Accio_ _dishtowel_." She wrapped Shoebox in the towel.

"Yes he is," Jamesy sniffled. "He's old, mean, and naked."

"James Potter, you will not talk about your father that way," Ginny said firmly. "Now sit down in that chair and wait until Daddy gets back down here."

Jamesy took his seat and openly pouted.

Harry returned to the kitchen, fastening the clasp on his robes. "Where is that idiotic dog?"

"What is going on here?" Ginny demanded.

Harry snorted. "I was not trying to drown his dog. The dog doesn't need my help. After Jamesy chucked him into _my_ bathwater, he sunk like a blo--"

"Language," Ginny snapped.

"Like a rock," Harry continued. "I was trying to fish him out, but your son decided I was trying to drown him, so he threw everything he could find at me." Harry glared at James. "INCLUDING, my clothes for this afternoon, my wand, a dried flower arrangement, and almost all of your bubble bath!"

Jamesy stuck his tongue out at Harry.

"Then once I managed to get the dog out of the bath, he grabbed the goods and took off," Harry crossed his arms. "So, I pursued. That's my story, your Honor, and I'm sticking to it."

Ginny calmly stroked Shoebox and looked over at James. "Jamesy, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"I want a solicitor!" Jamesy exclaimed from his chair. "He was trying to drownded Shoebox! That's against the law!"

"We do not sue members of the family, James Albus," Ginny said flatly. "You may speak in your own defense."

"Wait a minute!" Harry said pointing at James. "Why do we have to get a story from our four-year old? I'm the big person here! I get parental veto!"

"You," Ginny said, pointing at Harry. "Are biased against the dog. And anyone who runs through the house practically naked, LOSES their parental veto."

"Fine," Harry said, "but I get to intervene if he starts telling stories."

Hermione leaned over to Penny, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Does this mean we're the jury?" she whispered.

Penny inclined her head towards Ginny and smiled. "It's all Ginny."

"Since today is Sunday," James began, swinging his feet in his chair, "I 'membered that me and Daddy were supposed to go see Mr. Professor Albus Dumbledore."

"_Oh no_," Harry said, shaking his finger. "Don't start that cute stuff. You're going to grow out of that...and when you do...."

Jamesy glared at Harry. "Shoebox and me aren't talking to you, Daddy."

"Quickly," Ginny sighed.

"Well, an Daddy says that Shoebox always smells funny and he never wants to take Shoebox to Mr. Professor Albus Dumbledore's house. So, I thought that when Daddy was in the bath, if Shoebox got a bath like him...Daddy couldn't say that Shoebox smells funny."

"So you decided to drop him in the bathtub? With Daddy in it?"

"Yes I did," Jamesy said. "But since he didn't get a proper bath, Shoebox is going to get maganomia."

"Maganomia?" Hermione whispered to Penny.

"Pneumonia," Penny translated.

Ginny looked down at Shoebox, who wagged his little black tail at her. "He seems fine, Jamesy." Shoebox wriggled against her hand happily.

"So, our son is allowed to throw dogs into the bathtub?" Harry asked clearing his throat.

"You may not take Shoebox to Professor Dumbledore's house," Ginny said to Jamesy. "You were wrong to throw your dog in the bathtub without asking Daddy. You may, however, tell Professor Dumbledore why Shoebox isn't there to see him. I think he'll enjoy hearing the story."

"I'll bet," Harry grumbled. "Come on, Jamesy, we're late as it is." He kissed Ginny on the cheek and waved at Penny and Hermione.

Jamesy kissed Ginny and Shoebox goodbye and hugged his aunts.

After they left, Ginny finally allowed herself to laugh. "To think that Harry wants to have another baby!"

"Another baby!" Hermione said, sounding surprised. "But, wouldn't it be nice?"

"Harry misses Chloe like crazy," Ginny smiled a bit sadly. "We all do. But really..._another_ baby! I don't think so! Jamesy is quite a handful."

"_Chloe_ is quite a handful," Hermione commented. "She and Meghan are free-spirits, that's very certain."

Penny smiled. "Oh, Hermione. Meghan doesn't purposely cause trouble. She's a good girl, just not as quiet as Catherine."

"Oh no," Hermione said, "not on purpose. But believe me, if either of them had the tools to cause trouble, they would. Thank goodness Harry promised he wouldn't show Chloe the map."

"Map?" Penny said curiously. "I've never heard about a map."

Ginny's eyebrows lifted. "Really? Well, I guess you wouldn't have. The twins would have _never_ let Percy in on it...."

"In on what?" Penny asked again.

"A map of Hogwarts. The Marauder's Map," Hermione said. "A magical map with listings of secret passages and where the teachers and other students are. Sirius, Remus, and James Potter created it and it found it way into the twins' hands."

"Then Harry's," Ginny nodded. "He has it somewhere, but he promised Hermione he wouldn't show it to any of the children. For their safety really, they did quite a few stupid things with that map."

Hermione colored slightly. "Well. There's no need to give it to Chloe and Meghan when they can make plenty of trouble by themselves."

Penny nodded behind her teacup. Honestly, Hermione made it sound like she and Ginny were raising a pair of hooligans. Meghan wasn't that much of a troublemaker. Hermione seemed like a very strict teacher. They should be allowed to have a little fun.

"You were the best out of all of us at school," Ginny said to Penny. "I _never_ heard of you getting into trouble once."

Penny smiled back at her and continued adding her sums. There were always the little incidents in the Muggle studies classroom with Percy that she could tell Ginny about. Somehow she doubted his sister wanted to hear about _those._

"Penny was good," Hermione said, "Everyone liked you."

Penny finished her tea. "May I use your fire to check on the nanny? Madeline had a bit of an earache this morning."

"Of course," Ginny said refilling Hermione's teacup.

Penny excused herself from the table and hurried up the Potter's main staircase. Nice, calm, well-behaved Penny indeed.

She quickly found the room she wanted to be in and drew her wand. She opened Harry's closet door and lifted the lid of his old school trunk. Invasion of privacy? Certainly not. The whole family seemed to know about it anyway.

"_Accio Marauder's Map_," Penelope said succinctly.

A roll of parchment leapt into her hand with a satisfying pop. Now the only thing left was a few well-placed questions to Fred and George, or even Sirius.

Penelope smiled as she tucked the map into her robes. She had always been good at Summoning charms. And it was true... no one _ever_ suspected the Ravenclaws.

Chloe's fingers were black from newsprint, and she was tired of flipping through old _Daily Prophet_ articles. She had read about countless trials and stories about Death Eaters. She was ready to stop looking in the newspaper and start on the fat stack of books that she pulled down from the shelf.

"Hi, Chloe."

Chloe jumped and quickly covered the headline of the paper she was reading with her hands. "Hey, Finn." She smiled at him. "Just doing some extra research for Transfiguration."

Finn brushed his hair out of his eyes. "I was with Meghan at Hagrid's, but she started drawing things in his garden. I think she was drawing the bottom side of a pumpkin when I left."

"Oh, she gets like that," Chloe said, shuffling more newsprint. "Was she mad at me for not going to Hagrid's?"

"She said she was going to leave you alone, because you usually act funny for a reason. Are you doing extra credit?"

Chloe paused, trying to think of something to say. No one had approached her since she was in a tucked away corner of the library. "I...well, sort of."

Finn shrugged and Chloe saw that he looked slightly hurt. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

"I-I would," Chloe said quickly, trying to make him feel better. "It's just something that I don't tell a lot of people and it's from a long time ago...and...."

"It's about Aidan, isn't it?"

Chloe met his gaze. This was Finn. Finn that had been their friend since the very first day of school. Why couldn't she tell him? It wasn't fair that she kept something so secret from him. He would never use it against her. "Yes."

"I knew something happened between you and Aidan," Finn said, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "He gets very uptight when I mention you or Meg."

"I'm trying to find out what happened, but it's very hard," Chloe said removing her hand from the newspaper headline.

"You don't know what happened and you just don't like him?" Finn asked incredulously.

"No!" Chloe answered defensively, "I know a lot of what happened, but Uncle Remus wants me to find out all the other things"

"Can I help?" Finn asked. "I mean, do you mind? Aidan never says anything about himself...and well, he's my friend."

Chloe almost winced but caught herself. Somehow it was painful sharing Finn with Aidan. She had never really even thought of them as friends. Aidan was just someone that Finn tried to hold a conversation with sometimes. She wondered if Aidan had even thought of himself and Finn as friends. "I don't mind," Chloe answered. "I should have told you what happened a lot sooner."

Finn was the one that found the correct newspaper article. They had been in the library for hours, and he had quickly picked up a paper and stared at it.

"Chloe," he said pushing the paper across the table. "Is that you in the picture?"

Chloe touched the photograph and glanced up at the headline.

_Special Edition Daily Prophet: Potter's Daughter Stolen. Enormous Reward Offered._

The photograph was of her standing in front of their Christmas tree.

"That's me," Chloe said in wonderment. "I didn't know he made the paper run something."

Finn rustled through the same stack quickly. "Look at this! Is that Professor Lupin?"

Chloe studied the pictures in the next paper. She saw Uncle Remus leading a group of people through a forest, with their wands out. Then a picture of her father, looking much younger but with a very awful look on his face. Chloe watched him place his head in his hands.

"Look at all this stuff," Finn muttered, flipping through more newspapers. "How can no one remember this happened? None of the older students seem to mention anything."

"It only went on for two days. I guess they might know the trial, since there was a lot of publicity before it, but there were a lot of trials then." Chloe made a face at the stacks of newspaper. "See?"

"Have you ever seen this?" Finn said, touching a paper. "Wow."

It was a photo of Harry carrying her out of the Malfoy manor. His face was grim and Chloe saw that her body was completely limp. She pushed it away.

They had to skip ahead quite a few papers to find the one they wanted. Finn and Chloe read about the trial stumbling over the legal words, but looking them up as quickly as possible.

When they got to the end of the article, Chloe felt numb. Uncle Remus had been right. She needed to know this. Why had her father never told her that they had so much control of the Malfoys?

"Wow," Finn said for the hundredth time. "I never guessed anything like this."

Aidan thrust his spade into the warm earth and quickly dug a hole deep enough to plant a seedling. Herbology was his least favorite subject, with the exception of Flying. Aidan didn't see the point of either class. Herbology wasn't anything more than Gardening for Wizards and Flying was utterly ridiculous.

"Pretty bird! Pretty bird!" screeched Whizbang, the Herbology teacher's parrot.

Then there were the birds in the greenhouse. Owls were fine, they minded their own business and delivered post. But the birds that Professor Higginbotham kept most certainly did not mind their own business.

"PRETTY BIRD!" screamed Whizbang, bouncing up and down on his flimsy branch.

Aidan eyed the parrot, wanting very much to chuck a dirt clump at him.

"Gryffindor!" screeched Whizbang. "Ten points from! Gryffindor! Gryffindor!"

Maybe the awful bird was psychic. Doubtful. He had just spent the first half hour of class making barking noises at the Slytherins.

Aidan pulled the Persnickety seedling from its pot and placed it in the hole and carefully smoothed the dirt around it. The moment he took his hands away from it, the plant proceeded to droop.

Finnigan Bell glanced at his plant and then up at him.

Aidan set his mouth and tried to perk up the leaves.

Chloe Potter already had neat perfect rows of perfectly healthy plants.

"I stepped on mine," a slow voice grumbled. "I think that kills it."

Aidan didn't bother paying any more attention. A Slytherin. Half of them were dumb as posts.

Before the Sorting, he had assumed he would be sorted into Slytherin. After all, his relatives were all Slytherins. None of them had ever told him about the other houses. Slytherin was the best, no questions asked.

Aidan had felt confused for days after he was Sorted. The group of people he had been thrown with were nothing like the type he was used to. He didn't feel like one of them and he wasn't about to start buttering up to them. If anything, they were bearable and they didn't annoy him as much as the Slytherins did. Slytherins were far too predictable for Aidan's taste.

Then there was the fact that the mere fact that he was in Gryffindor drove his mother to heights of craziness that could probably land her a suite right next to his father in Raveneux. Aidan smiled. That idea was quite entertaining. The letters she had sent him after finding out he was in Gryffindor had been the most attention he had received in years. Aidan was almost looking forward to stepping off the Hogwarts Express with the Gryffindor crest staring at her from his robes. Perhaps she had found a way to finally write him out of the will.

He watched Chloe Potter came over and kneel next to Finnigan. "Want some help?" she whispered.

Finn glanced at his drooping plants. "They look sick. I don't know what I did to them. Maybe they don't like being...I don't know, _looked_ at?"

Chloe moved her hands around the plant and loosened the earth a bit. "They're not sick. They're just a little picky." She gently pulled off a dead leaf and smoothed the earth down.

Aidan watched the plant perk up out of the corner of his eye. She was slightly better at Herbology. He could run her into the ground in Potions. Her own aunt wouldn't give her higher scores. It was pathetic.

"They have to breathe," Chloe said, tending to the other plants.

She finished Finnigan's and Aidan supposed they looked all right.

"Thanks, Chlo," Finn smiled.

Chloe's eyes lifted. "I can do yours too, Aidan. They have to look better than the Slytherins'." She moved her hands around one of his plants, hesitating. "I don't mind really, this is my favorite class...."

"I don't need your help," Aidan said sharply. What was she playing at?

Chloe brushed her hands off and she looked annoyed. "Of course _you_ don't," she said, matching his tone. "You don't want to talk to any of us."

Meghan and Posy had stopped digging. They were craning their necks to see what was happening.

"You're going to need the extra points for the academic contest," Aidan said. "It's rather stupid of you to help me."

Chloe's eyes blazed. "You might be in my house, but I don't like you."

Aidan's thoughts halted from the present. _That_ sounded familiar. "I never asked to be in _your_ house in the first place," he replied, glaring at her. "And just so you know, I don't like you either."

Finnigan sighed heavily. "Could you maybe not figh—"

"You're the one who is going to need the extra points," Chloe stabbed Finnigan's spade in the middle of Aidan's dirt.

"Extra points! Extra points!" screamed Whizbang.

"I don't believe I've needed them so far," Aidan smirked. "You're in second place."

"Not for long," Chloe retorted, before stalking off to sit next to Meghan.

Aidan felt invigorated from the argument. That was, until he had to turn his attention back to his drooping seedlings. Chloe Potter would get her competition.


	13. Bravery Smavery

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Chloe pulled the hood of her cloak over her head with shaking fingers. The wind was howling fiercely through the castle grounds and it felt like it was pricking her face with icicles. Chloe put her head down and kept walking. Meghan didn't know what she was talking about: this wasn't bad.

When she reached the Quidditch stadium, she tugged hopefully at the handles of the heavy wooden doors. Despite the wind, they weren't going to budge. A piece of parchment was tacked up with very threatening blood-red script and Chloe read it quickly.

Private Quidditch Practice for Gryffindor House Team

6pm-Until Needed

No unauthorized persons allowed. Violators will be hexed and house points deducted liberally.

**Oliver Wood, School Quidditch Master**

Chloe didn't see how exactly she was an unauthorized person. How could someone taking an interest in the Gryffindor House team be unauthorized to watch them practice? Everyone else in Gryffindor seemed to think Quidditch was a splendid joke. This was quite a different situation than Chloe had imagined. When her father had gone to Hogwarts, all the people in Gryffindor really loved Quidditch.

"_Alohomora_." Chloe tapped the door with her wand and glanced around nervously. Talk about poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.

Nothing happened. She felt quite lucky. She wouldn't have put it past Oliver to fix a trap door or perhaps a very large net to fall on someone. Well, she certainly wasn't going to let some silly parchment keep her from seeing a Quidditch practice this year. She rubbed her freezing hands together and glanced around the stadium. How could she get in? First years weren't allowed brooms—much to her annoyance— or else she could just fly over the very tall fence surrounding the stadium. It wasn't even close to being as tall as the stands, but it kept her from getting to them.

She didn't see any way that she could scale the fence without blowing it up. She also didn't know how to blow anything up yet. She decided to walk around and see if there was a back entrance.

She didn't find an entrance, but she did find something helpful. In the rear of the stadium, they hadn't cut down the trees near the fence. All she had to do was climb a tree and hop over the fence, easy as pie. Chloe studied the trees. They were all terribly tall and if her parents knew she was climbing them, she would probably get in three times more trouble than when she climbed Havenwood trees. She picked the one with the branches closest to the fence and set to work.

Several minutes later, she wasn't getting very far. Her cold hands kept slipping on the bark and her dumb uniform wasn't exactly perfect for tree climbing. She was positive there was a gaping hole in the knee of her tights and her Mary Janes weren't good for standing on tree branches. Chloe stretched hard for another branch and pulled herself up. She had to hug the branch with her body to stay on and it was extremely annoying because her wand was digging into her ribs. Wait a moment! Her _wand_....

How could she be so stupid? She was a witch. It was all a matter of a little magic. Well, the matter of working out which magic to use. She doubted there were tree climbing charms in Standard Book of Spells Grade One. She couldn't very well levitate the tree and she doubted that she could levitate herself. There was certainly a reason why wizards had _brooms_. The teachers didn't seem to understand the necessity!

Maybe she could use that growth charm that Professor Higginbotham had taught them. Chloe had visions of the tree shooting up through the clouds at an alarming rate with her hanging on for dear life. Too bad she didn't know how to make it grow sideways.

What would the Aurors do? They probably wouldn't have blown the fence down if they were trying to be sneaky. She hadn't brought anything for climbing in her rucksack, just things for taking notes and one of her hair ribbons that had fallen out of one her braids. Chloe smiled brightly despite the wind gusts. Ribbon! There was a charm she knew!

"_Adorne_!" she said, pointing her wand towards the branch she wanted to end up on. Shiny gold Christmas ribbon shot out of her wand and twisted around the branch. She had helped her parents decorate their Christmas tree millions of times with her dad's wand. It wasn't exactly rope, but it seemed sturdy enough. She gave her wand a few tugs to be sure. Maybe she didn't even have to use it to climb. Professor Flitwick would _never_ know she was trying to make up spells. Chloe clutched her wand tightly with both of her hands. "_Retracto_!" she said, hoping that it wasn't Latin for something really awful.

Her arms nearly jerked out of their sockets as her wand shot her upwards, feeding the ribbon back into itself. Chloe yelped with pain as branches clawed at her on the way up. Luckily, she looked up just before she smacked her head and grabbed the top branch just in the nick of time.

Panting, she looked down at her progress. Yes, that took much less time. She might be a little scratched up and have the taste of sap in her mouth, but she was right at the level of the fence. It seemed a lot higher from up here. If her parents knew what she was up to, her father would have the entire Auror Third Infantry around the tree and her mother would be absolutely having kittens.

Now... to get across the fence. Maybe she could use her ribbon charm again and swing across like a heroine! It looked incredibly dangerous, but an awful lot of fun.

No. She would have to save that for another day. She didn't want to waste anymore time. "_Adorne_!" she repeated and pointed at the branch she was hanging onto. The ribbon shot out and Chloe let it feed until she thought there was an adequate amount to hang down from and slide down the side of the fence. She took a deep breath and let go of her high perch and hung on the end of her wand with all her might.

It would have worked splendidly if she hadn't smacked straight into the other side of the fence. It hurt an awful lot and then there was the fact that she hadn't allowed for enough ribbon. There was no repairing her tights now and she was hanging halfway down the fifty-foot fence with no idea how to get down. Drat.

_Finite Incantatem_ was a really bad idea unless she wanted to break a few bones.

Finn was going over his Charms notes for the thousandth time and Meghan was drawing something with her quill, the tips of her fingers black with the ink.

"I hope Chlo is enjoying herself in the freezing cold weather," Meghan commented. "She'd do anything to have her broom here at school with her."

"But she's good at it," Finn said. "She and Gloria Applewhite are the best flyers in our year."

"Gloria isn't trying to stalk the Quidditch team, now is she?" Meghan grinned.

"It'd be nice to be good at something," Finn answered, with a dark look in the direction of his Charms notes.

Meghan looked at him sympathetically. "I think you're doing really well, Finn."

Finn sighed softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude about it."

"You aren't rude," Meghan exclaimed. "You're the nicest person in Gryffindor! You even talk to Aidan."

"Aidan isn't bad," Finn mumbled.

"Didn't seem like he wanted to talk to Chloe," Meghan answered bitingly.

"I don't think she really wanted to either...."

Chloe's arms really hurt. Hanging from her wand was NOT comfortable. This wasn't supposed to happen to Gryffindors. Gryffindors always had a fantastic way to get out of sticky spots. Sure, you could give a Ravenclaw a tissue and a spoon and they could save the world, but a Gryffindor would find another way, with _style_ and some impressive bravery.

"Bravery stinks," Chloe muttered, her nose pressing uncomfortably against the wooden fence.

Her fingers were slipping from her wand and she wasn't really looking forward to breaking her neck.

The branch her ribbon was attached to creaked loudly in the wind. Maybe she hadn't picked a strong enough branch in the first place, maybe it would bend and the fall wouldn't hurt so much.

_POP!_

Chloe shrieked as she slid quickly down the fence and hit the ground with a thump. Fortunately, she rolled out of the way to miss the tree branch which crashed down on her side of the fence. She coughed violently into the dirt, trying to breathe again.

"Ow," Chloe groaned, touching her lip. She looked at her fingertip and winced when she saw the blood from her face and her skinned knee. "That hurt," she said, feeling tears prick at the back of her eyes.

But, there was no need for tears. She was lucky she wasn't seriously hurt from the fall. In fact, the tree had spared her by breaking and the branch had hit the fence first, causing her to not fall from a dangerous height.

Chloe ignored her scraped up palms and shakily got to her feet. Her wand was still attached to the tree branch, probably smashed to splinters. Her parents were going to kill her. Chloe muttered something that Uncle Ron was quite famous for saying when he felt angry.

Her wand was just as lucky as she was, just a bit dirty from the fall and rolling in the dirt.

"_Finite Incantatem_," Chloe said, and the ribbon disappeared. "I'm really sorry," she apologized to the tree branch. "I didn't think I was all that heavy...."

She backed away and ran off. She had better get to work now.

"Would anyone care for anything to drink?" Hermione asked when everyone was seated in the staff room.

"I believe, Deputy, that everyone would care to get this meeting over and done with. School hours have been long over." Snape straightened his pile of parchment impatiently. "We have no need for refreshments."

"Herbal tea with milk, please," Professor Higginbotham said, lifting her finger.

"Drink, Remus?" Hermione interjected quickly. "Filius?"

Remus' eyes crinkled from behind his wire spectacles. "Black coffee, please."

"Cranberry juice!" Flitwick piped up.

"Gin martini. Dirty. Extra olives," Professor Hubble said flatly. She went back to filing her nails, which were already very sharp and pointed.

"Bad day, Aurora?" Hermione asked, eyebrows lifted.

"I don't _deal_ with Slytherins," Professor Hubble replied with a very sassy toss of her auburn hair. "I'll just take the olives with club soda, then."

"Oliver is missing," Remus noted out loud. "Shall I send for him?"

"Oliver Wood is at a private Quidditch practice," Snape said coolly. "This meeting does not concern him in the least."

"Mr. Bell has him for Flying, does he not?" Professor Higginbotham questioned. "I'm sure he has a few words concerning the boy's ability in that area...."

"It's a...a...very important practice to Mr. Wood, Henrietta," Hermione added, handing her tea over. "He simply could not be persuaded to change the time."

"Wood?" Professor Hubble said slowly. "That must be the odd man I've seen screaming by the broomshed. I thought he was one of Hagrid's somethings. Is he quite all right in the head?"

"That question," Snape answered in a terse voice, "is uncalled for and not what we have congregated to discuss. However, I do not believe I have to remind Professor Granger that I can discuss Mr. Wood's mental health any time I decide to answer my post."

Professor Hubble took a swig of her club soda and smiled slyly. "I would have scheduled the meeting around his practice also."

"Shall we turn the discussion back to Finnigan?" Remus interjected before someone else could add their thoughts about the Quidditch teacher. "I would like to say a few words on his behalf, actually."

"Continue," Hermione nodded, placing her quill to a parchment. "I'm going to be owling this to Finnigan's mother. She refused to attend."

"He's certainly one of my best students," Remus said stirring his coffee. "If it weren't for the fact of him having little magical ability, he would probably be near the top of his year. He tries unbelievably hard, but he simply can't perform on the magical exercises."

"So, his failing grade is due to his lack of ability in practical areas of Transfiguration?" Hermione asked, while writing quickly.

"I'm afraid so. I try to give him as many points as I can. I've even given him a few extra assignments to make up for some of them. I can tell he's beginning to feel very frustrated with magic," Remus answered.

"I've seen his friends help him numerous times," Professor Higginbotham added. "It's very odd that he can't perform at the standards of the other students. He definitely wants to. It is almost like his magic is blocked away from him."

"Blocked?" Professor Flitwick shook his head. "Oh dear, dear, no. I've been paying special attention to the boy and even tried to help him with magical concentration, but his magic is not blocked from him, no, certainly not blocked. I still firmly believe that he does not know how to harness the power. I can not advance a student to the next level of Charms work if he does not master even the most basic of spells. His mother will not answer any of my owls regarding his magical ability in his early childhood."

"But he knows _how_ to perform the spell, he just can't execute it," Remus said. "Has anyone considered the possibility of him being a Squib?"

"If he did _not_ have the magical ability, his name would not be on the roster. He was born with the ability," Snape answered coldly.

"His mother would rather him _not_," Hermione added. "I'm quite concerned about her. She has a very unhealthy attitude towards the wizarding world and I think it's having a negative affect on Finn. With all due respect to his mother, I think that if it weren't for his friends, he wouldn't still be here. She would have talked him out of the magical world weeks ago. We simply cannot allow him to give up, he has an enormous amount of potential, like Remus said."

"In the process of not letting him give up, we just fail him in his first year?" Professor Hubble snorted. "That doesn't seem like much of a confidence boost to me."

"He doesn't want to leave Hogwarts," Remus said, giving her asour look. "He likes being exposed to the magical world. Not to mention, he's the absolute ONLY person in this school that Aidan Malfoy talks to."

"Aidan Malfoy," Professor Higginbotham sighed. "There's another...."

"Another student we are not discussing at this time," Snape interrupted. "Aidan excels in class, while Mr. Bell does not. If a student does not excel in classes after being given numerous chances, how do you expect him to survive on his own after he leaves Hogwarts? His mother may be right, regarding him living in the Muggle world."

Chloe could hear the Gryffindor team shouting and whooping as they practiced. She felt an electric tingle of excitement run up and down her arms. Finally! Quidditch! She pulled up the maroon coverdressing the Quidditch stand and slipped underneath it.

Chloe crawled to the front and pulled out her wand. "_Dissuere_!" she whispered, pointing at the fabric.

The seams in the fabric began to unravel and disintegrate from the point where her wand had touched it. She gently parted the fabric and peered out.

Chloe couldn't have happened upon a better spot. Directly in front of her was the team's bench, so she could not only see the flying that was going on above her, she could hear their comments.

Chloe quickly counted the scarlet robes in front of her, sitting on the bench. Four, plus Oliver. His Quidditch robes weren't scarlet and the dead giveaway was that most of the noise was coming from him.

"PASS THE QUAFFLE TO EACH OTHER! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK WITH YOUR OTHER CHASERS!" howled Oliver. He shook his fist at the sky and Chloe looked up quickly. One of the Chasers was speeding toward the goal post with the Quaffle.

"ANY IDIOT CAN FLY STRAIGHT FOR THE GOAL POST! PASS THE QUAFFLE!"

Chloe watched the other members of the team snicker and prod each other. She recognized the back of Kinsley Auden's blond head. He was the only one not laughing, but digging at the ground with his Beater bat.

"I'M SO GLAD YOU CAN FLY BACK AND FORTH ON THE PITCH! NOW TOSS THE QUAFFLE TO EACH OTHER BEFORE I HAVE TO COME UP THERE!" Oliver screamed, his face completely red. "DO YOU LISTEN TO A WORD I SAY?!"

Chloe winced as one of the Chasers attempted to catch the Quaffle but nearly fell off his broom instead.

"CATCH THE QUAFFLE OR FALL OFF YOUR BROOM!"

Chloe removed her rucksack as quietly as she could and cupped her hands around one of her most prized possessions. Her Bauble. It had been a gift, given to her by Professor Dumbledore when she was five.

Over the years, Chloe had discovered that her Bauble could do something more than glow when picked up and stop glowing when she set it down. She had discovered that she could control the intensity of the light. If she concentrated hard enough, the Bauble would shine extremely bright, filling a completely dark room as if it were daylight. She could also concentrate on making the Bauble glow so softly that the light was as small as a tiny pinprick.

But Chloe didn't want either of those things to happen as she pulled the flat gray sphere out of her bag. It winked to life in her palms, spilling the golden light into her dim hiding place. Chloe quickly concentrating on dimming it so that no one would see the rays seeping out from under the stand cover.

"Parchment," she whispered to herself and balanced the Bauble carefully on one palm as she searched for the rest of her supplies in her rucksack.

"YOU CALL THAT A FORMATION?"

Chloe quickly scooted to the ripped seam with Bauble, parchment, and quill and peered out. She rested the Bauble in her lap and rested one of her palms on it so it would continue to glow.

"Keeper!" Oliver rounded on the bench . "Get up there and throw those Quaffles back at them. If you let one of those Quaffles make it through the hoop, I'll replace you with a flying monkey? Clear?"

The Keeper stood up and nodded. When Oliver turned back to the Chasers, Chloe was horrified to see the Keeper roll his eyes.

"IF I DON'T SEE YOU THROW ONE QUAFFLE PAST THIS KEEPER, I'M GOING TO REPLACE YOU WITH FLYING MONKEYS!" Oliver bellowed at the Chasers.

"Somebody has a fiiiixation," Chloe heard someone sing softly on the bench.

"Shut up, Delores," Kinsley said, leaning down to look at the rest of the bench.

Chloe was vaguely aware of their argument continuing, but she was more interested in what was happening in the air. Oliver had a right to be screaming. The Chasers simply weren't doing anything. The Keeper was easily catching their attempts at scoring, but barely, and surely none of the other House teams would try something so simplistic. Chloe winced when one Chaser smacked into another simply because he was trying to signal for the third Chaser to throw him the Quaffle. The third Chaser, of course, threw the Quaffle at them post-collision.

She began scribbling notes on her parchment.

"Maybe if they kill each other, we'll have to forfeit," someone on the bench was saying. "There's a small bit of honor with forfeiting a game. It's far better than being creamed."

"Maybe the Snitch'll just leap into your hands too," someone answered him. "Course I'm forgetting that you can't even catch your post when it comes."

"I told you," Kinsley interrupted. "This year is going to be different."

TWEEEEEEEEET

"That's IT," screamed Oliver. "Get DOWN here!"

The Quidditch team congregated around their flying coach like repentant five-year-olds No doubt they were in for quite a lecture. Chloe's junior Quidditch team practiced better than they did.

"Hey," said someone, "what's under the stands there?"

Chloe gasped and shoved her Bauble back into her rucksack and started crawling furiously for the back of the stands.

"I don't know," someone else said loudly. "Let's look!"

The fabric covering the stands flew up and Chloe was face to face with a very large and angry-looking girl. Chloe gave a small squeak and tried to back away as quickly as she could, but not before the girl grabbed her foot and extracted her from the stands.

"A SPY!" yelled the girl. "Oliver! Look at this!"

Chloe's world turned into a blur of color as the girl picked her up by her feet and shook her upside down. She screamed and kicked, demanding to be let down.

Chloe's couldn't see anymore, now that part of her robes had fallen over her face, completely blackening the scene. "LET ME DOWN!" she shrieked. "I'm not a SPY!"

Delores continued to shake her. "Spy!"

"Put her down!" someone shouted. "She's not a spy, if you would take half a second to look at her robes! She's in Gryffindor! What is wrong with you?!"

Chloe hit the ground with another painful thump. "I'm not a spy!" she shrieked, trying to claw her robes out of her face.

A pair of hands reached down and helped her up. She pulled down her robes furiously. Kinsley Auden came into view. "Look, see? It's Potter. That little first year! You had to shake her to death, eh, Delores?"

Oliver glanced at Chloe and shook his head disapprovingly. "Auden, take Potter the hospital wing. She looks like she's been hit in the head. Potter, don't ever let me see you at another Quidditch practice...."

"Mum wrote me a letter," Finn said, reaching into his school things. "About Christmas this year... she doesn't want us to spend it in London."

"Don't tell me she wants you to stay in the wizarding world," Meghan said incredulously.

"No. I wouldn't mind going back to the Muggle world so much, because I thought I could visit some of my old friends, but Mum doesn't want them to suspect anything about Hogwarts."

"That's silly, they're Muggles, they'd never guess."

"I know. Mum is extra careful, though."

"Where are you going to go instead?" Meghan asked, looking very worried.

"A long holiday, travelling around and sightseeing. She wants to show me some parts of England I've never been to."

Meghan could hear the glumness in Finn's voice. "But you have to spend Christmas with somebody!"

Finn looked down. "Yeah. I might get to see my old school friends sooner than I think anyway. It's just one Christmas."

Meghan grasped Finn's hand. "No way! Come on!" She marched across the common room, curls flouncing.

Finn fought for control of his wrist. "What? Meghan? What?"

"Morty!" Meghan said, slamming her hand down on his book. "Morty, you'll never believe this."

Mortimer was startled quite violently from his reading and took a deep calming breath before gazing up at his sister and adjusting his glasses. "Meghan, for Merlin's sake, people in the common room study...."

"No," Meghan said, holding up her hand. "Wait until you hear about what Finn has to do for Christmas."

Mortimer Weasley glanced at Finn, who smiled back weakly, trying to convey that he had merely been drug over here against his will. "Yes?"

"His mum is making them travel around the Muggle countryside. A-lone." Meghan emphasized the last word by looking pitifully back at Finn.

'"It sounds like a holiday," Mortimer answered calmly. "You're wrinkling my book, Meghan."

"It is supposed to be a holi--" Finn tried to finish his statement.

"Finn can't go back to the Muggle world all by himself this Christmas! Why can't he stay with us? His first wizarding Christmas!" Meghan was quick to cut Finn off. "He could spend it with all of us and Chloe's parents too! He's just dying to meet all the others."

Mortimer quickly glanced around and lowered his tone. "Megh-an. It isn't polite of you to offer Father and Mother's house without permission. How do you know that Father hasn't invited some dignitary?"

"Like two years ago? The one from Hungary?"

"Yes," Mortimer said. "Exactly."

"He was playing horsey on the floor with Camea!" Meghan argued. "Besides, Mum and Dad would never notice someone new. He'd just blend in with the rest of us. Ten? Eleven? Who's counting? They sure aren't."

"What is going on?" Catherine appeared behind Finn, her hand on her hips. "Meghan, you're practically screaming at Mortimer. What has happened now?"

"Meghan wants to invite Finn to stay with us this holiday," Mortimer explained. "She hasn't even asked Mum and Dad for permission."

"Mortimer," Catherine sounded extremely shocked. "That is very rude of you. Of course Finn can stay at our house. Mum and Dad would never refuse a guest!"

Meghan grinned, obviously thrilled to have obtained an ally.

"But," Finn said softly, "My mother wants to tour the Muggle countryside."

Meghan glanced quickly at Catherine, waiting for a reaction.

"Of course she does," Catherine said, smoothing her hair down. "But we'll simply have to extend an invitation for her."

"Perhaps she wanted a relaxing holiday," Mortimer said dryly. "We have a very nice family, but it is very hectic at times."

"Oh!" Meghan said, slapping her forehead. "Then he doesn't have to stay with us at all. He can stay at Uncle Harry's house with Chloe and he won't have to be around the large groups all the time!"

"Yes!" Catherine said, beaming at Meghan. "Well done, Meghan."

"It's really okay, I don't want to be any trouble..."

Catherine looked at Finn as if he were one of her youngest brothers. "Don't be silly, I'll write to Aunt Ginny and Mum right away. So will Meghan and Chloe. They'll take care of everything."

"Look, kid," Kinsley said, walking with Chloe with his hand on her elbow. "You're crazy. You could have really been hurt doing that stuff."

Chloe touched her swollen lip. "Let me come to Quidditch practices then."

"You're too young," Kinsley sighed. "Oliver has rules and you'd only be in the way."

"All I want to do is watch," Chloe answered angrily. "I want to study the plays."

"Go check out a Quidditch book in the library. Less chance of breaking your neck."

"I've read them," Chloe shot back. "I want to write plays and learn how practice works. Why can't I?"

"Because you're a first year! Next thing you know, you'll be asking for a spot on the team."

"I won't ask for my spot, I'll earn my spot," Chloe said, pulling her Bauble out of her rucksack and lighting their path a bit.

"That's great, Chloe, but in a few years. There's nothing you can do for this team. It's my responsibility."

"Ever read anything about being a Captain?" Chloe challenged.

Kinsley gave her a look. "Listen here, I'm ALLOWED in practices."

She shoved a handful of parchment in his hands. "Read my stuff. I'm smart enough, I swear. Look at my marks, they're really good. I can fly too. I just want to help...please, I love Quidditch."

Kinsley flipped through the parchment quickly. "Look, Chloe... this is really...dedicated or something but, you've got to stay out of our practices. We can't use this stuff."

"You don't know that!" Chloe exclaimed. "I worked hard on those!"

"Tell you what," Kinsley said, stopping to turn a parchment over and study it further. "You stay out of practice and once a week, you and I can get together to talk Quidditch. Deal?"

Chloe snorted loudly. "No. I might be a first year, but I'm not stupid enough to agree to that. I'm in Gryffindor, give me SOME credit."

Kinsley laughed. "You're pig-headed."

"I want to attend practices. I won't make a sound."

"This is ridiculous. I don't even have to have this conversation with you, Chloe. You have to listen to Oliver's rules and that's the end of it. Honestly, I don't even know why you're arguing with me."

"Because you're the Captain, unless you forgot."

Kinsley bristled. "Let's remember I have more say than you, Chloe."

He handed her parchments back. "I don't think you've finished coloring on these."

Chloe snatched them back. "Fine, I'll just leave them in a nice spot for the Slytherin Quidditch team to find. Even though I don't even HAVE to bother, because you'll lose anyway."

"Do what you want, kid. This isn't your manor. There'rea few more people here than just you."

Chloe crossed her arms and kept walking. "You're an awful prat."

"Yes, you're ticked off at me," Kinsley grinned. "That's okay. You're all right underneath all that stubbornness."

"Am I at least allowed to attend the games?" Chloe asked dryly.

Kinsley took the parchments from her hand again and smiled in the Bauble light. "Of course, kid. You'll be the only Gryffindor there. Maybe you'll turn out to be a good luck charm or something."

Chloe's mouth turned upwards to a smile. Maybe the situation wasn't so hopeless after all. "You need it."

"I know," Kinsley laughed.


	14. Welcome Home

Chapter Fourteen: Welcome Home

Dear Ginny,

Thank you, as usual, for your kind invitation to Christmas Eve at Havenwood. The holidays wouldn't be the same without all the Potters and Weasleys running around. If I may be of any help, please don't hesitate to owl me.

Affectionately,

Remus

P.S. Sirius has insisted on putting his reply on the back of my parchment. Hope you can read it.

Mrs. Potter,

As requested by no one, I have prepared my traditional five-star masterpiece _Sirius' Surprise Spinach Soufflé_. Before we sup, I would appreciate if you inform the children that I added special Hippogriff brains just for them.

Adoringly,

Sirius

Dear Ginny,

I must say I'm overwhelmed at your persistence in extending kindness to Finnigan and myself. I would hate to disappoint the children, so I accept your invitation to stay at Havenwood this holiday. I assume Harry has several wards in place and it's quite safe. If you're quite sure that it is okay for Finnigan to stay at Havenwood--until my arrival on the day before Christmas Eve—we can leave the day after Christmas holiday. We don't want to intrude on your household, so you can understand that we wouldn't want to stay for the entirety of the school holidays.

Katherine Linter

Ginny,

I don't mean to intrude on your menu (it's always wonderful) but I was hoping you wouldn't be offended if I brought some puffed rice treats for Laura. She's simply crazy about them lately for some reason. I'm planning to come over early to help you with and your mum with the baking. My parents would stop by again for Christmas this year but they finally decided to take a romantic ski holiday and we're just going to Apparate to them on Christmas morning with Laura. I suspect they find the entire family a little… overwhelming? However, my dad said to tell you that he'll sorely miss your sugar-free cranberry sauce that you concocted just for him last year. Mum said that Dad will probably also miss whatever sort of joke toothbrush Fred and George decided to invent for him this year. Although, he wasn't too fond of the exploding one…I wonder why?

Love from,

Hermione

Gin,

Whatever Hermione is saying Laura is going to eat, don't worry about it and _ignore_ her. Trust me. The only people things interested would be the lawn gnomes.

I'll explain later...

Ron

P.S. Can you make those little midget sausage thingies that we had with the little plastic swords we had one year? And maybe deviled eggs? Mum always made the yellow stuff look like the shape of a Christmas tree, remember?

It wasn't often that Harry had the wireless on in his office. He didn't like to work to music or the news channel--the voices were distracting.

Today, however, was a special occasion. He was subject to a session of wizarding legislation—and his attention was mostly on his work, to prevent it from putting him to sleep. Harry rifled through the files of the three newest suspects of the Burkston robbery case as Murphy Hayseed lobbied for a change in Ministry ID badges. Apparently the sharp edges were prone to snagging on robes and causing much discomfort for everyone involved. Most importantly, the legislation pointed out that the Hungarian Ministry not only managed to get ID badges with rounded corners, they were not as shiny and unpleasant as the current badges. "Flash and trash!" said Murphy—whom Harry presumed was about eight hundred years old from the sound of him—in a fit of passionate disgust before having to blow his nose like a foghorn.

"And that was a live feed from WSPAN," an announcer who was equally dull and ancient (but without nasal congestion) interrupted the foghorn. "We will return after with our weather and news briefs."And just when Cecil Caraway was saying there would be more snow tonight, someone knocked on Harry's door and entered. A witch with a long blonde braid down her back grinned cheerfully at Harry.  
"Tonks?" he smiled at her hopefully. It had to be her. There were few people who would burst into his office.

Tonks nodded in the affirmative and tossed a folder on his desk.

"What's with your hair?" he asked, knowing it was better just to be brazen with her.  
"You expected turquoise?" she smirked at him.  
"That's usually on a Thursday."  
"If you really want to know," Tonks grinned mischievously. "I'm going on a blind date and I wanted to find out if blondes really do ha--,"

"Got it," Harry said, stopping the explanation as quickly as he could. "And why are you in the building?"

"Got you a few more leads on that robbery case and I wanted to request an appeal to the Goblin Council to have a little peek-a-boo in Mr. Slagle's vault."  
"You've got probable cause?"

"You know it," Tonks replied cheerfully. "It's all on that nasty paperwork I had to write up for you."

While he looked over the paperwork, he absentmindedly noticed Tonks twirling her wand between her fingers impatiently. "This is good stuff," he said, getting an itch to go search the vault himself. This coul--"  
Tonks' wand zipped from her fingers, bounced off the wall and let out a stream of pink flames. Harry had ducked in time and covered his head with his hands.  
Tonks hastily retrieved her dripping wand from Harry's coffee cup and swatted at a few spare fires on top of Harry's desk. "Erm. Sorry. It's a bit fickle these days after I tried to use this new polish…."

"Still got both buttocks?" Harry said making sure his eyebrows, most of the hair on his head, and both of his ears were still present.  
"Cheers," grinned Tonks.

"And this ought to be a great lead," Harry signed the parchment. "I want to know when you--"

He stopped talking and turned up the wireless.  
"And those who are welcoming any Hogwartsians home, our Scotland station reports that the Hogwarts Express has departed and will be arriving on schedule."

Harry snapped off the wireless.

"Chloe's coming home," he said, trying not to smile stupidly.

The Hogwarts Express lurched forward and gave a final blast of its whistle as it pulled from Hogsmeade station. Aidan Malfoy's stomach also lurched and he squinted through the falling snow to snatch a last glance at Hogwarts' tallest towers.

The holidays. Aidan had been looking forward to them as much as he looked forward to a flying lesson with Oliver and landing a giant, gloppy mud hole.

He had been lucky to find a compartment to himself. Even behind his closed compartment door, Aidan could very clearly hear screaming, laughing, loud tramping up and down the corridors. As long as he was by himself, he could spend the hours on the train reviewing his Transfiguration notes and reading the assigned Defense Against the Dark Arts material

Aidan was certain that Chloe Potter wouldn't be studying during the holidays and this would give him an easy point boost if they had a quiz when they returned to school. Chloe Potter and her friend Meghan were probably doing something stupid in their compartment anyway, like singing Christmas carols. Disgusting.

His mother had owled him a few days ago, _ordering_ him to come home for the holidays. Aidan hadn't seen a letter from her in months and he was surprised to see that he was still permitted in Malfoy Manor.

Not that the Malfoy Manor holiday agenda was ever bursting with activities and Christmas cheer…. There was a tree decorated by the house elves with the same silver ornaments and silver ribbon every year, some wreaths, and that was really it, aside from the pile of presents in front of the tree. Aidan didn't hold high hopes that there were gifts under the tree for him this year since his family probably considered him dead for being sorted in Gryffindor house. A smirk of pride traced Aidan's lips ever so briefly and then melted away as quickly as it had appeared. Maybe they had invited him home for his own wake. Maybe he had to sign an agreement agreeing to a name change.

And maybe not. Maybe he had been ordered home because of his annual visit to the Raveneaux hospital. His mother was probably required to take him to visit his father at least once a year. Aidan didn't think much about the visits. They were, after all, only a few hours and only one day a year.

While the train sped along the icy track and through the swirling snow, he thought about all of this. He reached across to the next seat for a carefully wrapped parcel, untied it, and took extra care not to bend it.

On special, crisp parchment, he had made a drawing of the dragon constellation, Draconis. Aidan had always liked the stars, and since it was his father's namesake, he had made a large picture of it in the night sky and charmed it to glimmer slightly. He reckoned his father would accept it as a fair Christmas present and might want to keep it.

His mother, on the other hand, was much harder to give a gift. Aidan didn't care to speak to her much and if she wanted something, she usually bought it for herself. Nevertheless, she was his mother, and he had found Transfiguration class particularly useful in obtaining her gift….

They spent an entire week on moonstones and Professor Lupin not only taught them how to transfigure pebbles into moonstones (after explaining they had nothing to do with the moon aside from being colored similarly sometimes), he assigned a research essay. Aidan thought he would dislike the project, but he did find it mildly entertaining that some of the more dense witches and wizards used to believe that moonstones would grant wishes. Aidan was sure to add a segment in his essay about the drunken wizard in Surrey that used his stone to try to make himself fly and chucked himself off a cliff.

Professor Lupin allowed them to keep their Transfigured moonstones after he had given marks for the work and Aidan was ready to put his moonstone (a pearly silver color) straight in the rubbish bin after class and move on to the next assignment.

But he saw Chloe Potter's moonstone when he glanced over at her desk and frowned at the difference between her stone and his. He had been given top marks for his stone, which, in fact, had _all_ the properties of a moonstone and he knew Chloe had received the same marks for her stone. But her stone was different. It had several colors rather than one and the luster was much more appealing.

He watched her stone for the rest of class, almost distracted, and wondering what she had done differently. Was it because she was a girl and the spell worked better? Was it more powerful magic? Aidan doubted _that_….

He finally concluded just before class was dismissed, that it might have been the chemical differences between their two pebbles.

And when everyone was hurrying to stuff books in satchels and talking about lunch, Aidan left Professor Lupin's classroom with Chloe Potter's moonstone hot in his palm and his own on her desk. The switch had been easy and he didn't plan to be around if Chloe noticed. Aidan reckoned that Chloe would probably be a tattletale.

Aidan stared at the drops of moisture outside his window. They clung and quivered to the glass and Aidan watched them for a while before pulling a pendant from his robe and looking at the rainbow moonstone swinging from it. The chain and pendant he had transfigured to put the moonstone in was pretty nice in his opinion and it he wondered if his mother would appreciate it.

Aidan jumped and clutched the pendant out of view when his compartment door slid open and a familiar head of ashy, light brown hair poked in.

"Hey, Aidan," Finnigan Bell said, smiling at him and shutting the door.

"Hello," Aidan said, swiftly pocketing the moonstone pendant.

"You're at the end, all by yourself?" Finn asked, looking around his compartment, his gray eyes stopping to look at the constellation drawing on the seat for a few seconds.

"You're standing right there. That's not by myself, you realize."

"I meant before I came in," Finn corrected himself.

"I reckoned my imaginary friends would come around sooner or later," Aidan thoughtfully. "But then I remembered I didn't have any of those either." He looked up and raised his eyebrows at Finn and both boys started laughing and Finnigan took the seat across from him.

"That's really good," Finnigan said pointing at Aidan's constellation drawing. "I remember that constellation from Astronomy. Draconis, right?"

"Christmas gift," Aidan shrugged. "It's something for the butler. Nothing special." The lie slipped out of his mouth much easier than the truth would have and Finnigan didn't need to know how much extra work the constellation had been.

"That's why I came down before we got to the station," Finnigan said rustling around the book satchel he had carried in. "To wish you a Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," Aidan responded dully.

"You know, most people like Christmas…how come you don't?"

"_Most people_ don't like me," Aidan remarked in a more pleasant tone. "Like Chloe Potter and Meghan Weasley."

Finn gave him a look that was possibly the most irritated expression that Aidan had ever seen on his normally cheerful face. "Chloe and Meghan would like you if they knew you."

"Remind me to tell Potter that the next time she gets the lower score on the Potions exam…_again_. I'm sure she'll want to make friends right aw—"

"I think it's both of your faults and maybe some day, I won't have to hear the same argument from two people." Finn gave his bag a violent shake and continued to fish around it.

Aidan decided would be good to change the subject and said, "Is it true you're spending the holidays with them?" He knew very well that Finn was, as Meghan Weasley had a knack for screaming things within earshot of the entire school.

"Yes," Finnigan said absentmindedly.

"Did you know that they say _he's_ probably a more powerful wizard than Albus Dumbledore." Aidan shrugged. "But who's going to _prove_ it?"

"Who's Albus Dumbledore?" Finn frowned. "Was this homework?"

"No."

"Then who are you talking about?"

"The _supposed_ most powerful wizard."

Finn's shoulders sank in his frustration. "Aidan, I hate when you talk in code."

"Well, _you_ ought to know him," Aidan smiled and stretched his arms above his head.

"I don't know anyone," Finnigan scoffed. "Why are you being rude?"

"Harry _Potter_, Finn."

"Chloe didn't mention anything like that," Finnigan replied shortly. "And I don't think they talk about that stuff."

"What, talking about warding off a trillion Dementors isn't what they talk about at tea?"

"Dementor?" Finnigan furrowed his brow again. "Was _that_ homework? I read everything."

"Whatever," Aidan shrugged. Then he repressed a sinister smile. "Do you suppose you'll make it back?"

"_What_!" Finn looked up immediately from his bag. "What are you talking about?"

"You _know_," Aidan said, leaning forward on the maroon train seat. "You might get lost in all the _children_. You're lucky you don't have red hair. I saw a picture once in the paper. If you saw all those kids, you'd think it was some sort of kid farm."

Finnigan pulled a package from his bag and thrust it forcefully at Aidan.

Aidan was surprised to see the maroon and gold Christmas present in his hand, but continued his teasing. "And you know what else?"

Finnigan rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he sat back. "_What, _Aidan?"

"I've heard that some people smother to death from all the _love_." He grinned to himself as he lifted the top of the box.

"Very funny…."

Underneath a few sheets of tissue paper, Aidan uncovered a small piece of dark polished wood that looked like the end of a stamp. He turned it over in his hand to look at the bottom and saw that it wasn't a stamp for an inkpad at all. The bottom of it was polished brass and the figure of a lion's profile was etched into the metal. In the tissue paper, Aidan found several slim sticks of gold and crimson wax along with another stamp with a crest with a G etched on it. Mollified at receiving such a nice gift, he looked up slowly at Finnigan who was watching him, practically on the edge of his seat.

"I thought you might want some… you know, Gryffindor stuff," Finnigan babbled quickly. "I didn't know what else you wouldn't have and I thought it was a really nice thing for letters and I ordered it from a catalogue, but if you don't like it I can return it really easily and I won't mind at all…."

Aidan ran his thumb over the lion profile and answered with a very quiet, "Thank you."

"You like it?" Finn sounded genuinely surprised and relieved.

"Yeah," Aidan said, finally finding his proper voice again. "It's really cool. I doubt my family is going to give me things with Gryffindor on it for Christmas and it's better than my other wax sealer."

"Happy Christmas then," Finnigan grinned and then looked out the window of the compartment door. "I should really get back. Chloe and Meghan are going to wonder where I went…."

"Happy Christmas," Aidan said quickly as Finnigan left the compartment and waved through the window.

The compartment was quiet again and Aidan was left alone with the rhythmic clacking of the wheels and he felt like slime on a slug's back for not thinking to get Finn a Christmas present. He set the wax sealing kit on the seat beside him and reached for his Transfiguration book. He probably shouldn't have teased Finn about staying with the Potters. He didn't have another way to stay in the Wizarding world. Aidan snorted at the idea of inviting someone to Malfoy Manor. Something probably would smother Finn and it certainly wouldn't be love.

Before putting his quill to his parchment, he thought a moment of what it would be like to be with all the people in Finn's compartment. Probably awful. Loud. Doing something stupid like eating too many sweets. It was better here in the back of the train….

When Harry arrived home early from work, arms laden with bags and boxes from the market, Ginny told him that James was in the living room and went back to arranging Christmas garland on the banisters.

He dumped the armful of bags from the market on the table and peeked at James and through the gap in the kitchen door. Oh. This again.

James was going through the family albums _again_. This was such a normal occurrence in their household that Ginny had to put extra-strong binding charms on the book and spells to prevent the pages from getting dirty. The books that didn't have James' picture in them were looked through the least and he preferred the books of the more recent years.

James would sit by himself for hours and point at the different people in the pictures and quietly narrate the action and the names of the people involved. Harry and Ginny didn't discourage his behavior, especially since he was born into such a large family and Harry _especially _didn't discourage it, because it often kept James quiet for at least an hour, two if he was lucky.

However, with the addition of Shoebox in James' life, the ritual had definitely made an interesting change. James would somehow—Harry wasn't quite sure how he managed it—make Shoebox sit with him and listen to him talk about each and every photograph in the book. Harry had once felt sorry for Shoebox about the fourth time he saw James do this, thinking that the dog probably felt the way most people did about seeing another person's cruise photos. Then, as he set the broom to sweeping the kitchen floor as he ate his sandwich, he remembered that Shoebox had winkled…tinkled…twinkled…or whatever Ginny and James called it…on the couch leg a few days ago and didn't feel the least bit sorry for him.

"And…and…that's me when they brought me home from the hospital. I was the cutest baby at the hospital and when I got home, they had already made a room for me with all the toys I wanted when I was born."

James forced Shoebox's head in the general direction of the picture and paused for a few seconds before continuing.

"And there's me again. I was the best baby in the family because everyone else has red hair and I'm the only one with black hair except for Daddy an' no one thinks that he's cute like me because he's an old grown-up."

Shoebox yawned. Harry continued to listen with horror growing. Had Ginny had some sort of funny business with Lockhart that he didn't know about? James went through every picture, informing Shoebox exactly, how he, James Albus Potter was the handsomenest, funniest, cutest, and bestest of his family.

Could your child have too much confidence? Harry wondered. Would he have to just knock James down a few notches in the family pecking order? Shoebox's body was limp, he had dozed off in between James' toddler years and his second Christmas.

Harry shook his head at the scene and went back to putting away the rest of the groceries. He doubted that this would be the last trip to the market today. They were having _thirty_ or more people over for Christmas Eve. His family was getting to be the size of a town militia. Percy was really going to have to start exerting some self-control.

And Harry _despised_ shopping for groceries. People usually started following him around or the more intense housewives would nick things out of his grocery basket to take home as…well, Harry didn't know exactly what they did with his green beans or toothpaste, but he was sure that it made the shopping trip three times longer.

"Harry!"

Ginny was calling him from the entryway. Harry popped a few grapes in his mouth and went to see what she wanted.

"Need some help?" he asked when he saw her struggling with an end of a paper banner that read, 'Welcome Home, Chloe and Finnigan!'

"I reckoned we could get it up faster together," she pushed the stray hairs out of her face. "And I've still got to go get changed out of these messy clothes and get James into some robes that don't have macaroni and cheese on the front."

"But then he wouldn't be realistic," Harry grinned and they magicked the sign to stay up on the banister that overlooked the first floor entryway.

Ginny didn't seem to think he was funny and only looked more flustered. "They'll be here any minute and Percy said he'd drop them off directly at Havenwood for us. And I doubt Chloe wants to show one of her school friends that her mum goes around looking like she doesn't brush her hair and…."

"I'll take care of James then," Harry said kissing her cheek. "Mostly because it looks like I don't brush my hair any time."

There was a shriek from the general vicinity of the kitchen that sounded something like, "Birthday cake!"

"I'm on it," Harry groaned. "Go do your thing."

Harry walked in on James perched on a kitchen chair, his face inches away from the large frosted cake that he had brought home from the bakery. The other grocery bags had already been rummaged through as there were carrots and potatoes on the floor…. Shoebox was taking advantage of James' extreme interest in the cake and gobbling the corner closest to his snout as quickly as he could. James poked some of his fingers through the center of the cake curiously.

"Chocolate!" he exclaimed to Shoebox who was snorting greedily.

Harry had considered counting to ten before he spoke, but when he was on two; James had stuck three fingers in the cake.

"JAMES!" Harry shouted. "Get down NOW!"

Shoebox acted first. He squirmed out of James' grasp and high-tailed it to the farthest corner under the kitchen table. Harry presumed he would find somewhere to throw up it all later. Like his slipper. Or on a Christmas present.

"Birthday cake, Daddy!" James hid his fingers behind him and looked up at Harry with big eyes. "I wanted to see what kind it was."

"The cake says, 'Welcome Home Chloe and Finnigan,'" Harry said with his arms crossed. "Your sister is going to be very sad you spoiled her cake. You know your birthday isn't for several days now."

James smeared the icing on his finger down the front of his robes and looked genuinely apologetic like Harry thought he would. James would be upset if it was something that had belonged to Chloe.

"Come on," Harry sighed. "You can apologize later, but you need to change robes before they get here." He noted that the cake now read, 'Wel—o—Ho—Chlo—an—innig—.' Great.

"No." James planted his heels in the ground. "I like _these _robes. I want to wear these ones. Chloe likes these because they have blue stripes."

"They're dirty," Harry said. "They have things all down the front."

"It's only a little spot," whined James. "I want THESE robes."

James' little spot consisted of what looked like cheese from his lunch, something red like fruit punch, a suspicious neon green stain and now a great deal of cake icing. And, Harry winced, there was definitely something orange in his hair.

"No," Harry said shortly. "How about we wash them and you can wear them after supper or tomorrow?"

James stuck out his lower lip and stamped his foot. "I WANT THESE ROBES! NOW!"

Harry knew this was coming. Ginny always said that children could be reasoned with in a firm manner. It was at this moment that he wished he could show her exactly _how _reasonable their children were.

"You may pick out something new that you like until then."

James was taking a big breath to continue his fit, but he never got the chance.

The front door slammed and a familiar voice was heard from the entryway.

"MUM? DADDY? We're here!"

James bolted out of the kitchen while shrieking, "CHLOE!"

Harry followed and saw James collide into Chloe, giving her a big hug. She was laughing and dancing around with him. "Jamesy! You're so BIG!"

Harry was grinning widely when Chloe turned to him and her face lit up. She had to have grown nearly two inches when he had seen her last and her hair was much longer.

"Daddy!" Chloe squealed and gave him a crushing hug. "I'm so happy to be home!"

"Welcome home!" he laughed. "We're happy too!"

Ginny, who looked nothing but ecstatic, was hurrying down the stairs, arms stretched towards Chloe. Harry saw that her hair was down and brushed smoothly now. She hugged and kissed Chloe repeatedly and apologized for the house not being exactly ready. He also noticed with a smile that Ginny had accidentally left a hair curler in the back of her hair. Oh well.

Chloe had to kiss and hug James again as he shoved his way in again, but she stopped and looked at him funnily. "How come you smell odd, Jamesy?"

James stopped hopping around and looked very anxious. "I was going to change my robes before you came! Honest I was, Chloe—"

"—Chloe, you haven't introduced your guest!" Ginny said.

And Harry, in the excitement, had neglected to notice the small boy with feathery brown hair standing uncomfortably by the school trunks. He was fiddling shyly with the hem of his robe sleeve and trying to smile.

"Fi-fi-Finnigan Bell," he stuttered towards Harry and Ginny. "I'm pleased to meet everyone."

"Who is _that?" _James said loudly, yanking on Harry's robes, looking most offended. "We were only supposed to get _Chloe _back. We don't have another BOY."

"We decided to get a cleaner boy," Chloe retorted. "Unless you change your robes, then he can just be my friend that is visiting."

James gave Finnigan an untrusting look and ran upstairs to change his robes.

"Welcome!" Ginny said to Finnigan. "It's so nice to meet you finally. Please, make yourself as comfortable as you can. If you need _anything, _just ask."

"Thank you," Finnigan mumbled, blushing.

"He's so much quieter than our children," said Harry with an admiring look at Finnigan. "You didn't pick this up from him at all, Chloe?"

"Nope!" Chloe smirked. "Come on, Finn, let's put our trunks upstairs. I'll show you your room!"

And when they had started upstairs with their trunks, James had dashed from his room in only his Quidditch underoos and stood at the landing shouting, "Chloe, I forgot! I accidentally broked your cake and I didn't mean to!"

Chloe merely laughed. Finnigan, eyes wide, looked back at Harry and Ginny.

Ginny sighed and laid her forehead on Harry's shoulder and Harry put his arm around her.

Yes. Things were back to normal at Havenwood.

Aidan wasn't told much about his father's condition. The one thing that he could be sure of though was that his father never changed rooms. In fact, year after year, the names on the doors of the rooms on the seventh floor didn't change. His father had a corner all to himself—two rooms connected to each other to give him a bedroom and a sitting room. Aidan often wondered to himself that if his father improved with the medication that he was taking that he might switch to a smaller, more temporary room.

His mother never came with him on these visits. He was flooed directly to Raveneaux and there was always someone there to show him the right direction. When he had been younger, six, seven, and eight, there was always someone that walked with him to visit his father and stood quietly in the corner the entire time. Since his father didn't acknowledge that this was anything strange or even acted like the person was there, Aidan copied him and never spoke to them—except once. He asked who exactly he was and why he followed him since he knew the way.

The man only broke the silence for a second. "Auror."

And the next year the escort was absent and never showed up again.

His father's room was silent and dim as when he walked in. A small cart with a tray and plastic cover was in the corner, looking very out of place from the other items in the room. His father had gotten permission to have his favorite belongings brought to his room as a reward for good behavior, and that included a lot of his old furniture and even clothing.

"Father," he said into the silence.

His only answer was the ticking of a small clock on the wall. Aidan watched the pendulum swing back and forth, an engraved M etched onto its surface.

This year would be different. He had things to tell his father. It wouldn't be hours of listening to his father go on and on about how it was his job to uphold the family honor. Aidan could ask his father about his own schooling and tell him all what he was doing at Hogwarts. He was top of his year and just as good at Potions as he used to hear his father was good at. Aidan wanted to give his father a reason to come home and set things right in the manor.

And, with a glance at the parchment laying next to him, still unwrinkled, he would hopefully be impressed with an example of Aidan's magic. If mother wouldn't listen to a word he said, he could definitely have some say in the family if his father came back.

Aidan turned sharply on the couch. There was a crackling sound that sounded that it was produced by something magical. A thin blue line was making its way around his father's bedroom door and after it was gone, Aidan could hear muffled voices. His father wasn't alone.

Someone soundproofed the door. If there was any spell that Aidan could recognize on the spot, it was a soundproofing spell. All of his relatives did that spell practically every time they went into a room.

The door opened and a young red-headed nurse with a ponytail walked out. She smoothed her robes and smiled at Aidan as if he was some sort of adorable puppy in a shop window. "Your father said to say he would be right out, Aidan. Wait right here, okay?"

Did he look like he was just going to take off running for no reason? Aidan disliked her right down to her last freckle and was not sorry to see her leave immediately.

His father strolled out of his bedroom, carefully buttoning up the long row of black buttons up the front of his robe. He nodded at Aidan, who could feel himself still scowling.

"That was Nurse Lane, Aidan. She was just administering a physical exam, nothing to worry about." He examined the contents underneath the plastic tray. "She also brings lunch."

Aidan wondered if his father knew just because he was eleven-years old didn't exactly make him an idiot.

"Yes, Father."

The two Malfoys sized each other up for a moment. Aidan's father always looked exactly the same, he could never tell a difference in his age. He was dressed just as he always had. The only thing different in his appearance were the black bands that his father had on his wrists all the time and a plastic I.D. bracelet. Aidan, who had a very good memory, knew that the bracelet read "Malfoy, Draco L. Rm. 734 Level IV N.M.P." Aidan had learned what they were when he was five. They blocked any magical powers that his father might have the ability to do. Raveneaux said it was for his father's safety, but Aidan was certain that the bands were the one thing that made his father extremely unhappy.

"You've grown. How old are you, Aidan?"

"Eleven. I'm at Hogwarts now."

His father's eyebrows lifted sharply. "Eleven!"

Aidan didn't wait for the questions. He had plenty to say after half a term of not saying hardly anything.

"And on the twenty-sixth, that's a two and a six, it's my fifth birthday, Finnigan."

Finnigan was trying very very hard to pay attention to James, but he had been going on about his birthday for a few hours, not to mention _days_ now.

"We know, James," Chloe said in a bored tone. "And you're going to get presents and ice cream and have a cake, right?"

"And Finnigan is going to come," James added with a quick skip around the table that they were playing Gobstones at. "Because I want him to be at my birthday party instead of Hogwarts. Do you remember the day, Finnigan Bell?"

"The twenty-sixth," Finn said faithfully, trying to decide the next Gobstone move. James opened his mouth to correct him, so he quickly added, "that's a two _and _a six."

"I made a list," James offered. "Of things I wanted for my birthday because I'm going to be five and Laura can't tell me that she's bigger than me anymore."

Chloe groaned. "Finn isn't going to get you a present! You don't ask guests for gifts, it's rude!"

"It's my birthday," James insisted. "You get presents, duh!"

"It _is_ his birthday," Finn admitted.

"And Laura is bigger than you, no matter if you're five or not," Chloe added.

"Uh-uh," James challenged. "Not if we are the same number. Duh, Chloe."

"When did you start saying duh?" Chloe asked. "It sounds just awful…."

"Right now, duh!" James said, making yet another circle around them.

"And Laura has been five for longer than you will be, so that makes her older," Chloe sighed.

James wasn't listening. "And I want four books. All picture ones because I don't have to read words until I go to school. And I want red rain boots, a dog whistle for Shoebox and my own ice cream store."

"Mum and Daddy aren't going to buy you an ice cream store," Chloe said flatly. "Don't be ridiculous."

"It's my birthday, duh," James informed her.

"Don't be mad if you don't get one…."

"You're just mad because you didn't think to ask for one," James concluded.

Finn mentally added the "duh" at the end of the sentence for him.

"I'll be sure and remind mum when we go out Christmas shopping tomorrow," Chloe said.

"_My_ mum is coming tomorrow, "Finnigan informed James, hoping to change the subject.

"Why?"

"Because we asked her to," Chloe answered. "She's a guest so you've got to be polite to her."

"I'm polite," James protested.

"Sure you are," Chloe nodded. "But you've got to be extra polite because we want Mrs. Linter to have a nice time at our house."

"Does she want to have Shoebox sleep in her room?"

"No," answered Chloe quickly. "But if she has a nice time, maybe Finnigan will be able to stay in the wizarding world with us next year at school."

"You're a _Muggle_?" James gaped. "A real one?"

"No," Finn shrugged. "Sorry. My mum just doesn't like the wizarding world much."

"That's bad," James informed him.

Finnigan grimaced.

Chloe nodded. "Mum and Daddy are trying to fix it. So, you've got to be extra nice."

"Mummy can fix anything," James told Finnigan seriously. "She likes you, duh."

Chloe pulled James onto her lap and hugged him.

Aidan was busy telling his father about his marks in his classes, his favorite projects, and what he planned to do by the end of the year when he was interrupted abruptly by his father.

"Enough about that, Aidan," he said massaging his wrist above the blocking band. "I want to hear about something else…."

Aidan waited quietly for him to ask him a question but his father simply stared at him with a strange look in his eyes for several minutes. Aidan felt the skin on his back prickle uncomfortably.

"Yes, Father?"

"Can I trust you?" His father was glaring at him sternly. "Can I trust my own son?"

"Yes," Aidan wondered what could possibly have prompted his father to ask this. When had he ever been untrustworthy?

"You're the only one I can depend on, Aidan."

Aidan was startled. His father never said things like this. "What can I do, Father?"

His father smiled slowly. "I knew you were a good boy. Listen to me closely. There's a passage way underneath the hearth of the common room fireplace that leads directly outside the castle. Have you managed to find it yet?"

Aidan's palms were damp. "No. No, Sir."

"What?" His father was incredulous. "Everyone in Slytherin knows that passageway by at least the first week of school. Are you some sort of idiot?"

"I'm _not _an idiot," Aidan muttered darkly.

"Well, now you know where it is, so you can use it. Maybe if you'll do something else more valuable with your time besides lessons your housemates will show you more important things…."

A lump was now in Aidan's throat and the back of his eyes stung. His father thought all of his marks were useless?

"And you can get to working for this family," Draco continued.

"I'm not in Slytherin house." Aidan looked right in his father's eyes when he said it, hoping with every ounce of hope that it would hurt him.

"What did you say?" hissed his father, brows knitting together.

"I'm in Gryffindor," Aidan said, feeling resentment bubble up and the lump in his throat disappeared. "If you would write letters to me you might know that." Good. Perhaps he would yell and pay attention to him.

But instead of yelling his father leapt from his chair and gave Aidan a stinging slap across the face and shoved him roughly. "Don't you speak to me that way!"

Aidan backed away quickly and banged against the wall. His heart pounded and his face was throbbing.

"My own son, is another traitor, sorted into Gryffindor!" His father was coming quickly toward him again and Aidan was certain that he was going to hit him again. "You FILTH! Disgusting!"

"GET AWAY!" Aidan shouted as loudly as he could. He yanked his wand out of his robes and pointed it at his father, his hands shook roughly and his fingers felt rubbery. "I'll hex you!"

His father halted, obviously surprised to see his son with a wand in hand. "How did you…."

"I didn't ask to be sorted into Gryffindor!" Aidan shouted, trying catch his breath. "It's not my fault that _you_ aren't happy about it! Don't touch me!"

His father raised his eyebrows, suddenly calm. "Sit down, Aidan. I _apologize_. If you don't stop shouting, someone is going to come in here. I misunderstood what you told me."

Aidan gripped his wand even more tightly so that his fingernails were digging painfully in his palms. His father had never apologized to him.

"Sit," his father repeated in a firmer tone of voice.

Aidan sat as far away as possible from his father.

"Now," his father smiled almost peacefully, "my son. It isn't a problem of you being sorted into the wrong house. We'll send away some paperwork to get it changed on all your records and even adjust marks that you might not have agreed with some of your professors on."

"The school won't change my house, I asked them at the beginning of the year," Aidan replied shortly.

"The school isn't involved in any of this now," his father waved the thought away. "It's just a small issue that will be resolved by the time you finish your seventh year. Easily forgiven, Aidan. We can certainly overlook this, son."

Aidan's face throbbed and he felt something twinge in his stomach. What if he didn't…. But then his father smiled warmly at him, something that Aidan had only seen a handful of times in his lifetime and he wondered what his father wanted him to do.

"You're a brave young man," his father nodded towards his wand, still pointed at him. "Willing to attack your own father? I see qualities in you that can be turned into something that will help this family…powerful magic that can help me get better, Aidan."

Aidan swallowed. "But there are healers here…."

His father shook his head and frowned at him. "They're not nearly as powerful as you could be, Aidan. They have the wrong ideas of magic here…and you, we have a special magical bond. The healers will change their minds about letting me go home if _we_ can convince them…."

Aidan felt the twinge in his stomach twist into a knot. He wanted his father to be home very badly…but…this didn't sound….

"_Vita Recordatio,_" his father prompted him. "It's the first spell that will help me, Aidan. You have a wand. It will free me…. You got it past them…_Vita Recordatio._"

"What does it do?" Aidan asked. "I'm not supposed to do magic outsi—"

"Say it!" his father shouted. "Do you want to prove yourself to me or not!"

Aidan's fingers were going numb from gripping his wand so tightly. "I…."

"You're afraid," his father hissed at him. "You've been left to your worthless mother and her other idiot relatives that you're barely my son as it is. No one in this family can trust you, Aidan…they will hate you even more now."

Aidan's jaw clenched. "No," he said, and the knot in his stomach loosened. "I won't." He was being _lied_ to. Nothing in the family would change. And Aidan hated him for it. Aidan hated them all.

"You will do as you're told! It is your obligation to this family!"

In one swift movement, Aidan yanked down the constellation that he had drawn for his father off the wall and left the room before his father could reach him.

He didn't need them. He didn't need their money. He didn't need anyone.

That night, when Finn was in the Potters' guest bedroom, working through some Transfiguration problems that Professor Lupin had given him for extra credit, he heard a soft rapping at his bedroom door.

He hopped out of bed and opened the door. Mrs. Potter was waiting in a long nightgown and dressing robe. Her long red hair was twisted into a braid that looked similar to how Chloe did her hair sometimes. Finn was ashamed. Had he been up too late?

"I was going to go to bed," he said, hoping to explain quickly. "But I really got into this homework that—"

"You're doing homework?"

Finn was relieved. She wasn't mad at all. She sounded as though she thought the idea of homework was funny.

"Yes, ma'am."

"That's impressive, Finnigan. I mean, especially two days before Christmas. I think Chloe's choosing to read a new book of fairy tales, rather than tackle—"

"Transfiguration," he finished for her.

"Even more of an undertaking!"

Finn smiled shyly and tugged on a piece of his hair. "Well…I…Chloe's a much better student than I am and she can have a holiday from all of it, I think…."

"May I come in?" Mrs. Potter asked.

Finnigan nodded. "Oh yes, ma'am. It's your room, really…I'm sorry if I'm in the way of anything that you have to get done…."

Finnigan liked her easy smile and she was much more relaxed than he ever saw his mum. Perhaps his mum would be like that if his father hadn't died. "I just wanted to give you some mail that an owl delivered for you. I thought you might want it right away if it was something important."

"Oh…thank you," Finn replied, "I just don't really get much mail, so I don't think it will be really important…."

Mrs. Potter looked down at his notes. "Do you really like school?"

"I do," Finnigan said quickly. "It's just that…." He shut his mouth quickly. Chloe's mum didn't want to hear him whine about how hard school was sometimes.

"It's just what?"

"It's not important."

"Sounds like it is…."

"It's just that I wish I didn't have to work so hard in all my classes to barely pass anything," he blurted. "Why won't my magic work like anyone else's? I study so much and I can't get even the easiest stuff done."

He took a deep breath and stared hard at his Transfiguration book. He couldn't even think about getting upset in front of Mrs. Potter. How embarrassing….

"I think your professors notice that, Finn," she said quietly. "You're an extraordinary boy and when your magic comes to you—and it will—you'll be prepared for it and I think everything that you've made yourself learn will work as you want it to."

"What if it doesn't?" he said, desperately hoping that she would know someone that this had happened to. "I'll be so behind…and if it never comes…I'll just have to go back and be a Muggle…no one will want to speak to me again."

"Do you really think that Chloe and Meghan would stop being your friend because you moved back to the Muggle world?"

"I don't know," Finn said gloomily.

"I don't think you could keep Meghan from beating down your door," Mrs. Potter laughed. "But, I don't think that's going to happen…I think that your hard work is going to pay off."

"That'd be good," he sighed, not knowing what else to say.

"Night," she said, shutting his door behind her.

He reached d for the parchment in front of him. His eyes widened when he spotted the deep maroon seal of a Gryffindor lion. He couldn't have written _him_ a letter. He pulled it open as quickly as he could without ripping the parchment.

Finnigan,

We sacked the butler. You can have this if you want it.

Aidan W. Malfoy

Finnigan unrolled the constellation drawing.

Later, he composed a letter in reply to Aidan.

Dear Aidan,

Thanks very much for the constellation and letter. I am having a very nice time at the Potters and even though you said Mr. Potter was the most powerful wizard in the world, he is very cool. I think you might like him—he's like most everyone else and even walks around with holes in his socks. I am trying to do Transfiguration and it is still awful, wish you were here to tell me how hopeless I am.

Happy Christmas,

Finn

A/N: Thank you so much for your patience. I'm so happy that the chapter is up. It was a busy and tough year for me, so I appreciate those who have stuck by me for this long. You are the best. A _million_ thank yous. I hope this chapter and future ones meet (and hopefully exceed) your expectations. This one was really a beast for me.

You may visit Chloe's Bookshelf, a website devoted to story discussion, artwork, notes and cut scenes, and a general good time. We'd love to have you! (http/ thanks to my betas Dr. Cornelius and Jill.

Thanks to Professor Davies—who was in the right place at the very right time and saved my opening Harry scene from being lost in cyberspace.

And much love to the Chloe's Bookshelf members who were always sweet in the absence of a chapter and NEVER gave up on me. They're also nice enough to let me participate in some of their discussions. ;-)

Thank you so much for reading. We'll get to some Christmas and cheerfulness in the next chapter.

Yours very truly,

Caitlyn M.


End file.
